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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. field — a subject
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lie — to recline
  8. club — for golf
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. drill — the tool
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. field — for sport
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. field — farmland
  17. drill — army training
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. fork — in a road
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. drill — a practice

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