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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. track — a song
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. chip — for betting
  6. plane — a tool
  7. ball — a great time
  8. vault — a safe
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bound — certain
  11. ball — a dance
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bound — obliged
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bound — tied together
  17. chip — to eat
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. track — to keep track
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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