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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. field — for sport
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. chip — to eat
  5. file — a tool
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. file — a document
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pitch — completely
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. field — farmland
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. field — a subject
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. rush — hurry
  24. file — a line of people

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