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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bass — the fish
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. file — a tool
  10. bass — low music
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. snap — to click
  14. stand — to bear
  15. field — farmland
  16. pit — in a race
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pit — a hole
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — for sport
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. file — a document

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