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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 120 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's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. field — for sport
  5. rock — music
  6. tear — to rip
  7. stand — to bear
  8. field — farmland
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pop — soda
  14. tear — from crying
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rock — a stone
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rest — a break
  21. tear — from crying
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pop — music

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