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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. present — a gift
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. present — there
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pop — to visit
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. field — for sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pop — soda
  14. present — the time now
  15. field — farmland
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pop — music
  18. ball — a great time
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. wound — an injury
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. calf — a young 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