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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. field — for sport
  3. spring — of water
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. deal — to handle
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bound — obliged
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. field — farmland
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — a coil
  21. branch — a division
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. field — a subject
  24. bat — for baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com