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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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. field — for sport
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mug — to rob
  7. tube — the underground
  8. field — a subject
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. tube — a container
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. field — farmland
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pound — a weight
  22. mug — a face
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. racket — for tennis

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