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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. field — for sport
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pit — in a race
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. tube — the underground
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. field — farmland
  22. tube — a container
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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