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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. field — farmland
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. deal — to handle
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. field — a subject
  8. perch — the fish
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. field — for sport
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. season — in sport
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. foot — a measure
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. squash — the sport
  24. foot — the bottom

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