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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. field — farmland
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pop — soda
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. field — a subject
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. field — for sport
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pop — music
  20. pound — a weight
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bowl — to roll
  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