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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mate — a friend
  3. field — farmland
  4. club — for golf
  5. field — for sport
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mate — a partner
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wake — a trail
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. club — a group
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mate — to breed
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bound — certain
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. field — a subject

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