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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bay · bound · pop · field · root · season · kick

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. kick — in football
  5. season — in sport
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. root — of a word
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — music
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bound — certain
  22. bear — the animal
  23. season — of the year
  24. pop — to visit

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