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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. current — of water
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. current — happening now
  7. field — farmland
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. march — the month
  12. hand — in cards
  13. march — music
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. current — electric
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. hand — help
  24. stem — to come from

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