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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. field — farmland
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. track — to keep track
  5. field — a subject
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. land — ground
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. track — a path
  15. suit — to fit
  16. field — for sport
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. lean — thin
  19. court — of law
  20. track — a song
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bear — the animal
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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