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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. net — for catching
  3. drill — army training
  4. cue — a signal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. net — in sport
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. drill — the tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. net — after costs
  18. field — for sport
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. drill — a practice
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. field — a subject
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. field — farmland

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