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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — farmland
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bark — to shout
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. field — a subject
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cell — a phone
  20. swing — music
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cell — in biology
  24. nail — for a hammer

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