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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. key — the most important part
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. field — a subject
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. key — for a lock
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. dip — to sink
  19. key — in music
  20. field — farmland
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fall — the season
  23. snap — to click
  24. calf — a young animal

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