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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. mate — to breed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. firm — a company
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. firm — steady
  8. ground — a position
  9. mate — a partner
  10. field — farmland
  11. pop — soda
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pop — music
  15. bear — the animal
  16. firm — decided
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pop — to visit
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bear — to put up 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