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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. net — in sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — for sport
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. mate — to breed
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bound — obliged
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. net — for catching
  16. mate — a partner
  17. chest — a box
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. net — after costs
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chest — of your body

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