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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. cap — of ice
  3. field — farmland
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. firm — steady
  7. field — for sport
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. suit — to fit
  12. firm — a company
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pitch — completely
  20. suit — in cards
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. cap — a lid
  24. firm — decided

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