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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. object — to protest
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stock — shares
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. object — a thing
  13. field — farmland
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bark — to shout
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. object — an aim
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. field — a subject
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. calf — a young animal
  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