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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 120 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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. dip — to sink
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. court — of a king
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — farmland
  9. court — for sport
  10. rule — government
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. object — an aim
  14. rule — a law
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. field — for sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mine — for digging
  19. object — a thing
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. object — to protest
  22. court — of law
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. file — a document

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