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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pitch — completely
  3. field — a subject
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bank — of a river
  6. field — for sport
  7. can — a tin
  8. field — farmland
  9. present — there
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. present — a gift
  15. bound — certain
  16. bank — for money
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bank — for money
  19. wind — moving air
  20. deal — to handle
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. present — the time now

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