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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chair — a leader
  5. field — for sport
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rock — music
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rock — a stone
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. march — the month
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. march — the month
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. field — farmland
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. march — music
  23. field — a subject
  24. racket — for tennis

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