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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — a group
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. spring — a coil
  7. can — a tin
  8. club — for dancing
  9. spring — the season
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. field — for sport
  15. can — to be able to
  16. field — a subject
  17. rest — what's left
  18. field — farmland
  19. spring — of water
  20. rest — a break
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rest — what's left

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