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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fork — in a road
  3. swing — to play on
  4. drill — the tool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. swing — music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. drill — a practice
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. field — for sport
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. capital — a city
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. drill — army training
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. capital — money
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — farmland
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. dip — a sauce

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