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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. firm — a company
  7. bear — the animal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. field — farmland
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pitch — completely
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. field — for sport
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. firm — steady
  19. saw — the tool
  20. firm — decided
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mouse — for a computer

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