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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 120 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. field — farmland
  6. rule — government
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rule — a law
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. field — for sport
  14. branch — a division
  15. staff — employees
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. field — a subject
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. game — a match
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. staff — employees

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