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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. current — electric
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. field — for sport
  6. current — happening now
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. date — the fruit
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. field — farmland
  13. chip — to eat
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. field — a subject
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. current — of water
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mine — for digging
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. chip — for betting

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