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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 120 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. suit — to fit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bulb — for light
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bulb — for light
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. staff — employees
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. pound — a weight
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pitcher — a jug

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