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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mug — a face
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. staff — employees
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. staff — a stick
  13. saw — the tool
  14. field — for sport
  15. bark — to shout
  16. field — farmland
  17. rock — music
  18. field — a subject
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — a position
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. staff — employees

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