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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. field — a subject
  5. roll — a cake
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — of the year
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. foot — a measure
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. fork — in a road
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. field — for sport
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bore — to tire
  23. roll — a list
  24. season — in sport

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