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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. field — for sport
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spell — letters
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pound — a weight
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. craft — a skill
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — farmland
  21. spell — magic
  22. rash — a series
  23. craft — boats
  24. rash — on the skin

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