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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. ground — the earth
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stand — to bear
  7. ground — a position
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. ground — crushed
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — farmland
  12. shower — rain
  13. field — for sport
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. shower — to wash
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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