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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bear — the animal
  3. land — ground
  4. can — a tin
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. land — a country
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — for sport
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. can — a tin
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. land — to come down
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bear — the animal

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