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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: stand · club · content · field · object · sharp · calf · lie

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. lie — to recline
  4. content — the amount
  5. club — for dancing
  6. field — for sport
  7. sharp — clever
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. club — for golf
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. object — to protest
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. object — an aim
  17. field — a subject
  18. stand — to bear
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. content — happy
  21. field — farmland
  22. object — a thing
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. club — a group

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