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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. capital — money
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. degree — temperature
  6. track — a song
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. court — for sport
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. capital — a city
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. degree — from a university
  20. wax — to grow
  21. degree — an amount
  22. track — a path
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. nail — on a finger

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