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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're almost out of ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pit — a hole
  4. squash — the sport
  5. last — finally
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. field — a subject
  9. pop — music
  10. field — for sport
  11. fork — in a road
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pit — in a race
  15. last — final
  16. bulb — for light
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. field — farmland
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. last — to go on

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