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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. foot — a measure
  6. field — farmland
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. field — for sport
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. game — a match
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. drill — a practice
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. game — wild animals
  18. vault — a safe
  19. field — a subject
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bowl — a football final

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