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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: field · rash · bat · root · calf · pit · rush · cabinet

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. field — for sport
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rush — hurry
  7. field — a subject
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. rash — a series
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. root — the cause
  13. field — farmland
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. root — of a word
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. root — of a plant
  24. rush — a thrill

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