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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. object — an aim
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. field — for sport
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. field — a subject
  10. march — the month
  11. plane — a tool
  12. object — a thing
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cap — a hat
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cap — a lid
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. march — music
  21. field — farmland
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wake — a trail
  24. object — to protest

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