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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. field — a subject
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bear — the animal
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pit — a hole
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. field — farmland
  19. pop — music
  20. can — a tin
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. field — for sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. pop — soda

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