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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. roll — a list
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. field — a subject
  5. mate — to breed
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. mate — a friend
  13. field — for sport
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. prune — to trim
  16. roll — a cake
  17. field — farmland
  18. mate — a partner
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pitch — completely
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. arm — part of the body

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