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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. scale — size or range
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. can — a tin
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. march — music
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitch — completely
  13. can — a tin
  14. field — farmland
  15. march — the month
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fall — the season
  21. mark — a grade
  22. march — the month
  23. fall — to drop
  24. scale — in music

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