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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bass — the fish
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. band — a music group
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bound — certain
  11. field — a subject
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bound — tied together
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bound — obliged
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. field — farmland
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. foot — part of the body

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