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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 124 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — farmland
  5. rule — a law
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bank — for money
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bank — for money
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. field — for sport
  18. band — a ring
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rule — government
  21. bore — to tire
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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