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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. field — a subject
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. field — for sport
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. field — farmland
  16. band — a music group
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. kid — to tease
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. band — a ring
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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