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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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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: rash · root · dip · pitcher · bound · drill · field · calf

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bound — tied together
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — for sport
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. root — of a word
  10. rash — a series
  11. root — the cause
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. root — of a plant
  14. drill — army training
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bound — certain
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bound — obliged
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rash — hasty

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