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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rash — a series
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. mark — a grade
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. roll — a list
  12. hand — in cards
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. track — to keep track
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bulb — for light
  17. court — of a king
  18. track — a song
  19. hand — help
  20. track — a path
  21. court — of law
  22. rash — hasty
  23. court — for sport
  24. bulb — of a plant

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