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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. race — a contest
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. mate — a friend
  5. field — a subject
  6. mate — to breed
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. track — a song
  12. mate — a partner
  13. field — for sport
  14. race — humankind
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rush — hurry
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. foot — a measure
  24. race — the arms race

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