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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. current — happening now
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spring — of water
  6. field — for sport
  7. mine — for digging
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mark — a trace
  10. current — electric
  11. board — to get on
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. mark — a grade
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. current — of water
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. spring — the season

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