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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. march — the month
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. march — the month
  5. field — for sport
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fall — to drop
  8. march — music
  9. kid — to tease
  10. firm — decided
  11. track — a song
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. field — a subject
  14. track — a path
  15. fall — the season
  16. kid — child
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. track — to keep track
  22. field — farmland
  23. fall — to drop
  24. calf — of the leg

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