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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. kid — child
  4. lean — to bend
  5. rush — hurry
  6. march — music
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. field — farmland
  9. firm — steady
  10. can — to be able to
  11. march — the month
  12. can — a tin
  13. firm — a company
  14. march — the month
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. can — a tin
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. kid — to tease
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. firm — decided
  24. rush — a thrill

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