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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. field — for sport
  4. drill — a practice
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. chip — to eat
  11. field — farmland
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. drill — army training
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. row — to paddle
  18. field — a subject
  19. drill — the tool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — a dish

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