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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. lie — to recline
  5. present — a gift
  6. track — a path
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. field — farmland
  10. spell — letters
  11. present — the time now
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. present — there
  14. staff — a stick
  15. track — to keep track
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. field — a subject
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. track — a song
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

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