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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. can — to be able to
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. drill — the tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. track — a path
  10. mate — to breed
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. track — a song
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. can — a tin
  16. chip — for betting
  17. drill — army training
  18. chip — to eat
  19. can — a tin
  20. cap — a hat
  21. drill — a practice
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. chip — in 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