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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cap — a hat
  3. can — to be able to
  4. field — farmland
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rest — a break
  9. field — for sport
  10. rest — what's left
  11. vault — a safe
  12. field — a subject
  13. deal — to handle
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rest — what's left
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cap — of ice
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bear — to put up with

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