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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. pit — in a race
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pound — a weight
  5. field — a subject
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rest — a break
  13. field — for sport
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. stand — for spectators

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