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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. field — a subject
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. field — for sport
  8. rock — a stone
  9. track — a song
  10. field — farmland
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rock — music
  16. track — a path
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit

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