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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. field — farmland
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pass — a permit
  5. club — for golf
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. field — a subject
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. field — for sport
  11. face — part of the head
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. face — to point toward
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. face — to confront
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

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