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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.

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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: deal · race · spell · file · press · calf · field · foot

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. race — the arms race
  3. deal — to handle
  4. press — a publisher
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. spell — letters
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. field — farmland
  9. press — newspapers
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. field — a subject
  13. spell — a short time
  14. file — a line of people
  15. foot — a measure
  16. race — humankind
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. race — a contest
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. field — for sport
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. press — to push

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