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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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. current — happening now
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. track — a path
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. shower — rain
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — a weight
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. track — a song
  16. current — electric
  17. shower — to wash
  18. root — the cause
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. current — of water
  23. row — a line
  24. calf — a young animal

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