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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bass — the fish
  6. foot — a measure
  7. row — to paddle
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. firm — decided
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. roll — a cake
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. field — farmland
  17. bass — low music
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. field — for sport
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. wind — moving air
  23. row — a line
  24. wind — moving air

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