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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — for sport
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bear — the animal
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. press — newspapers
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. spring — a coil
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. board — a committee
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bear — the animal
  14. field — a subject
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — to get on
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. spring — of water
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. press — to push
  22. spring — the season
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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