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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. field — a subject
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. track — a path
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. track — a song
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pitch — completely
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. current — of water

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