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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: field · lean · mug · spell · mouse · ball · foot · calf

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mug — a face
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. field — farmland
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. field — for sport
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — a measure
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lean — thin
  14. field — a subject
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. spell — letters
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mug — to rob
  21. spell — magic
  22. ball — a dance
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. spell — a short time

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