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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 124 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bear — the animal
  3. field — for sport
  4. present — there
  5. field — a subject
  6. present — a gift
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. suit — to fit
  11. race — humankind
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. race — the arms race
  16. suit — clothes
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. dip — to sink
  22. race — a contest
  23. present — the time now
  24. field — farmland

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