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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. wake — a trail
  3. field — farmland
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. swing — in golf
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. swing — to play on
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. swing — music
  16. cue — for pool
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. field — for sport
  19. cue — a signal
  20. capital — a city
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. capital — money
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cue — a hint

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