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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.

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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: kid · rest · pass · pit · present · cap · field · calf

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — for sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kid — child
  7. rest — what's left
  8. field — a subject
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. present — there
  12. rest — a break
  13. pass — a permit
  14. present — a gift
  15. cap — a lid
  16. present — the time now
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. pit — in a race
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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