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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bank — of a river
  4. field — a subject
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mug — to rob
  8. can — a tin
  9. cap — of ice
  10. spell — magic
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. mug — a face
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bank — for money
  17. pit — a hole
  18. spell — letters
  19. can — to be able to
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bank — for money
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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