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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. current — of water
  4. field — a subject
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. can — to be able to
  7. field — for sport
  8. can — a tin
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. row — a line
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. field — farmland
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rush — hurry
  22. can — a tin
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bark — of a tree

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