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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. snap — to click
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. field — a subject
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cue — a hint
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. field — for sport
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bat — 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