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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. kick — in football
  3. field — for sport
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bear — the animal
  7. capital — money
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. capital — a city
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. tube — a container
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — a subject
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bear — the animal
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. tube — the underground

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