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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bank — for money
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bass — low music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. field — a subject
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bank — for money
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. snap — to click
  24. field — farmland

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