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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: fork · calf · field · pop · foot · mine · leaves · charge

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. foot — a measure
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. charge — a price
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pop — soda
  7. charge — in control
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. field — a subject
  11. pop — to visit
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mine — for digging
  16. field — farmland
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. field — for sport
  20. pop — music
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. charge — electricity
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. fork — in a road

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