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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. field — a subject
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ground — crushed
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. drill — army training
  12. ground — a position
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. field — for sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. drill — the tool
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. field — farmland

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