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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 116 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: bear · chip · field · bank · cap · snap · bore · stand

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. field — farmland
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bank — for money
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. field — for sport
  9. snap — to click
  10. bore — to drill
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bank — for money
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bear — the animal
  19. field — a subject
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bore — to tire
  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