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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · spring · ball · field · chair · bay · calf · rest

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. spring — of water
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. staff — employees
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. staff — employees
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. field — farmland
  13. staff — a stick
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rest — what's left
  18. field — for sport
  19. chair — a leader
  20. field — a subject
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. ball — a dance
  24. calf — a young animal

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