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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. field — farmland
  9. kick — in football
  10. plane — a tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. field — for sport
  16. staff — employees
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. staff — a stick

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