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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. suit — in cards
  8. staff — employees
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. suit — to fit
  11. field — a subject
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. staff — a stick
  15. suit — clothes
  16. staff — employees
  17. field — for sport
  18. kick — in football
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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