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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. field — farmland
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. club — for dancing
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. kid — to tease
  14. field — for sport
  15. club — for golf
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. field — a subject
  18. kid — child
  19. lean — thin
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fork — in a road
  24. club — a group

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