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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pop — soda
  5. field — a subject
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chair — a leader
  15. swing — music
  16. field — farmland
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. pop — music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. field — for sport
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pop — to visit
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mouse — the animal

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