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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. field — farmland
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. lie — to recline
  8. shower — to wash
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. shower — rain
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. field — for sport
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. field — a subject
  18. calf — a young 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