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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. field — for sport
  5. last — to go on
  6. field — farmland
  7. pound — a weight
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. last — finally
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lean — to bend
  13. last — final
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. field — a subject
  19. lean — thin
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. lean — to rest against

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