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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. cap — of ice
  3. field — for sport
  4. spring — the season
  5. field — a subject
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. spring — of water
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bank — for money
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. field — farmland
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pound — a weight
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bank — for money
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. deal — to handle
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cap — a lid

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