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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cap — of ice
  5. mine — for digging
  6. field — for sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. current — happening now
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. field — farmland
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bank — of a river
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. current — of water
  19. field — a subject
  20. current — electric
  21. cap — a lid
  22. staff — employees
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bank — for money

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