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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: field · cap · root · saw · calf · mine · mug · racket

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cap — a hat
  6. saw — the tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mine — for digging
  14. saw — the tool
  15. field — farmland
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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