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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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bound — certain
  4. field — farmland
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitch — completely
  9. field — for sport
  10. can — a tin
  11. bound — tied together
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. snap — to click
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. can — to be able to
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. prune — to trim
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pitch — a sports field

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