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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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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 · fork · fall · field · bay · pound · mouse · toast

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. field — farmland
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. toast — bread
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. field — for sport
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. field — a subject
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. fork — in a road
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. fall — to drop

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