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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. suit — in cards
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — farmland
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. toast — bread
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bark — to shout
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. toast — the most admired

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