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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. shower — rain
  5. suit — in cards
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. present — there
  13. mark — a trace
  14. field — a subject
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. shower — to wash
  19. field — for sport
  20. present — the time now
  21. suit — clothes
  22. saw — the tool
  23. present — a gift
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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