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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pass — a permit
  4. field — farmland
  5. bound — certain
  6. hand — in cards
  7. kid — to tease
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. kid — child
  14. bound — tied together
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hand — help
  22. charge — in control
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. pass — to succeed

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