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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. saw — the tool
  3. field — farmland
  4. saw — the tool
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. file — a document
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. file — a tool
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. field — for sport
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. file — a line of people
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. chip — for betting
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. degree — temperature
  20. field — a subject
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. chip — to eat

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