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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rule — government
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. toast — bread
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rule — a law
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. field — a subject
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. foot — a measure
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. wave — with your hand

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