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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 120 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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. last — finally
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. craft — a skill
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. last — final
  11. field — farmland
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pop — soda
  16. saw — the tool
  17. field — a subject
  18. craft — boats
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. last — to go on
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — in football

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