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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: calf · pit · rush · dip · fine · bowl · field · deal

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fine — all right
  3. field — farmland
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. deal — to handle
  16. field — for sport
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. dip — to sink
  19. field — a subject
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rush — hurry

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