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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pop — to visit
  3. field — for sport
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pop — music
  6. mate — a partner
  7. march — the month
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. field — farmland
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pop — soda
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. face — part of the head

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