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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.

Make a worksheet

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: land · rock · field · spring · calf · rest · stick · pitcher

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. spring — of water
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. field — a subject
  13. rock — a stone
  14. land — to come down
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. land — a country
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. spring — a coil
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rest — a break
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. land — ground
  24. rock — music

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