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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. track — a path
  3. field — farmland
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. track — a song
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. track — to keep track
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bear — the animal
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. field — for sport
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. field — a subject
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pound — a weight

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