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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. chip — to eat
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bank — for money
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. field — for sport
  15. ground — crushed
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. chip — for betting
  19. field — a subject
  20. ground — the earth
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bank — of a river
  23. ground — a position
  24. season — of the year

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