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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. field — a subject
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. field — for sport
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. field — farmland
  9. swing — in golf
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. root — of a plant
  12. can — a tin
  13. game — wild animals
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. can — to be able to
  19. swing — to play on
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. can — a tin
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. swing — music
  24. game — a match

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