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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. present — a gift
  3. suit — clothes
  4. kick — in football
  5. ground — a position
  6. net — for catching
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — for sport
  10. ground — the earth
  11. net — after costs
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rock — a stone
  14. ground — crushed
  15. present — there
  16. field — a subject
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. rock — music
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. net — in sport
  22. bore — to drill
  23. present — the time now
  24. suit — to fit

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