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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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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. 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. mine — belonging to me
  2. field — for sport
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. track — a song
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. 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