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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. present — the time now
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. field — for sport
  7. wind — moving air
  8. present — a gift
  9. field — a subject
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. field — farmland
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wind — moving air
  18. present — there
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. can — a tin
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pitcher — a jug

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