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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · ground · field · track · ruler · bay · cap · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. ground — a position
  3. field — for sport
  4. track — a song
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. ground — the earth
  8. cap — a lid
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bank — for money
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bank — of a river
  13. track — a path
  14. field — a subject
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ground — crushed
  20. lean — to bend
  21. field — farmland
  22. bank — for money
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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