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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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rest — a break
  3. field — for sport
  4. craft — boats
  5. rest — what's left
  6. field — farmland
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cue — a hint
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. ground — a position
  15. field — a subject
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. rest — what's left
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bat — the animal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rush — hurry

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