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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 120 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: fine · race · field · rush · ground · calf · file · rock

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. file — a tool
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. field — a subject
  8. ground — the earth
  9. race — humankind
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rock — music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. field — farmland
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. race — a contest
  20. field — for sport
  21. race — the arms race
  22. fine — all right
  23. rush — hurry
  24. file — a document

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