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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rock — music
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. field — a subject
  7. mark — a trace
  8. rush — hurry
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chair — a leader
  12. field — for sport
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. deal — to handle
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. field — farmland
  19. plane — a tool
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. plane — an aircraft

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