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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. field — farmland
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. firm — decided
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cap — a hat
  14. firm — steady
  15. bank — for money
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. firm — a company
  18. bank — for money
  19. cap — a lid
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. dip — to sink
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. prune — to trim

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