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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. field — a subject
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — a measure
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. swing — in golf
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. band — a ring
  23. swing — music
  24. rush — hurry

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