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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. game — wild animals
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bank — of a river
  6. game — a match
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bank — for money
  11. field — farmland
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. field — a subject
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. field — for sport
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mine — for digging
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. season — in sport

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