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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rest — a break
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rest — what's left
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cue — a hint
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. field — a subject
  20. stand — to bear
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rest — what's left
  24. field — for sport

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