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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. squash — to crush
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bass — the fish
  7. field — for sport
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bass — low music
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. field — farmland
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. field — a subject
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — a law
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. ground — the earth
  24. mouse — for a computer

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