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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. track — a path
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. can — a tin
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. craft — a skill
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. track — to keep track
  12. scale — size or range
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. craft — boats
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. can — to be able to
  20. scale — in music
  21. can — a tin
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. track — a song

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