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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: can · hide · fine · degree · bear · field · racket · march

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. can — a tin
  4. fine — all right
  5. march — the month
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. march — the month
  8. bear — the animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. degree — temperature
  12. field — farmland
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — from a university
  15. fine — high quality
  16. march — music
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — a subject
  21. can — a tin
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bear — the animal

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