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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.

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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: field · cabinet · mine · jam · mouse · rash · bear · rock

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. field — farmland
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. field — for sport
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. field — a subject
  15. rock — music
  16. rash — a series
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. rock — a stone
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. mouse — the animal
  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