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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. field — farmland
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. field — a subject
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. toast — bread
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. field — for sport
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pitcher — a jug

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