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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 116 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bound — tied together
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. field — farmland
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. kick — in football
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lean — to bend
  11. field — for sport
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. root — of a word
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bound — certain
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bound — obliged
  23. field — a subject
  24. lean — thin

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