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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 116 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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cell — in biology
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bank — for money
  8. can — to be able to
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. board — a committee
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — farmland
  14. bank — for money
  15. bulb — for light
  16. can — a tin
  17. bulb — for light
  18. board — to get on
  19. can — a tin
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. field — a subject
  24. march — the month

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