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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. field — farmland
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rash — a series
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rash — hasty
  24. mouse — the 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