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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: bear · present · wind · march · saw · can · field · degree

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — an amount
  5. field — for sport
  6. present — a gift
  7. wind — moving air
  8. can — a tin
  9. march — the month
  10. saw — the tool
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. field — farmland
  16. degree — from a university
  17. field — a subject
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bear — the animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. bear — the animal
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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