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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: present · field · date · calf · mine · bear · racket · chip

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. present — the time now
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bear — the animal
  6. date — the fruit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. present — there
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. field — for sport
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. field — farmland
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chip — to eat
  21. present — a gift
  22. field — a subject
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bear — the animal

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