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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. field — for sport
  6. pound — a weight
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. tube — a container
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. hand — in cards
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. field — farmland
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. hand — help

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