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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pit — in a race
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ground — a position
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. field — for sport
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. field — farmland
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rock — a stone
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ground — the earth
  19. stem — to come from
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rock — music
  22. ground — crushed
  23. field — a subject
  24. calf — of the leg

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