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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 116 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. prune — to trim
  6. field — farmland
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. field — a subject
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rock — a stone
  17. chip — for betting
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mug — a cup
  21. field — for sport
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rock — music
  24. mug — a face

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