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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · kick · field · calf · present · march

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. present — a gift
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. present — the time now
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. field — farmland
  9. game — a match
  10. present — there
  11. kick — in football
  12. field — a subject
  13. game — wild animals
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. march — the month
  18. kick — with a leg

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