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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 120 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. field — farmland
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fork — in a road
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. field — for sport
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. net — for catching
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. cap — a hat
  24. fork — to eat 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