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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. field — farmland
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bank — for money
  6. field — a subject
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bank — for money
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bear — the animal
  24. field — for sport

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