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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.

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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. can — a tin
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ground — the earth
  5. can — to be able to
  6. capital — a city
  7. lean — to bend
  8. ground — a position
  9. capital — money
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. ground — crushed
  13. lean — thin
  14. track — to keep track
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. track — a path
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. band — a music group
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — a weight
  23. band — a ring
  24. pound — for dogs

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