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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 ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. field — for sport
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cap — a lid
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cap — of ice
  16. spring — the season
  17. field — farmland
  18. spring — of water
  19. field — a subject
  20. bank — for money
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bank — for money
  24. spring — a coil

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