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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. key — for a lock
  7. track — a song
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. land — ground
  11. tube — the underground
  12. deal — to handle
  13. key — in music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. land — to come down
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. tube — a container
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. track — a path
  22. land — a country
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mouse — for a computer

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