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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 124 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. can — a tin
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. field — a subject
  5. bear — the animal
  6. field — farmland
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. field — for sport
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bass — low music
  15. can — a tin
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. calf — a young animal

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