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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fall — to drop
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. fall — the season
  7. field — farmland
  8. fall — to drop
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. field — for sport
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. date — the fruit
  16. current — of water
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. foot — a measure
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. scale — size or range
  22. field — a subject
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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