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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rash — a series
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rash — hasty
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pitch — completely
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. spell — magic
  16. present — there
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. craft — boats
  19. track — a path
  20. spell — letters
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. spell — a short time
  24. track — to keep track

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