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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. field — a subject
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pop — soda
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bear — the animal
  9. craft — a skill
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pop — to visit
  15. craft — boats
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. field — for sport
  18. pop — music
  19. saw — the tool
  20. field — farmland
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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