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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. staff — employees
  4. drill — the tool
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. kid — child
  8. drill — army training
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. swing — in golf
  11. drill — a practice
  12. staff — a stick
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. staff — employees
  21. swing — music
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. nail — for a hammer

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