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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. net — for catching
  4. field — a subject
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — the time now
  7. field — farmland
  8. chip — to eat
  9. net — after costs
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pound — a weight
  21. can — a tin
  22. net — in sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. present — there

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