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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 120 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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. swing — music
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. swing — in golf
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. saw — the tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. swing — to play on
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — farmland
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. plane — a tool

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