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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. field — for sport
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. field — farmland
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. field — a subject
  24. shower — rain

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