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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. field — for sport
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. capital — money
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. field — farmland
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. field — a subject
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. ground — a position
  24. pitcher — a jug

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