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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. band — a music group
  3. field — farmland
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. field — for sport
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. field — a subject
  8. present — there
  9. board — to get on
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. scale — size or range
  12. ground — the earth
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. present — the time now
  16. board — a committee
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. scale — in music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. ground — crushed
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. present — a gift
  24. band — a ring

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