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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. racket — for tennis
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wind — moving air
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. march — music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. track — a song
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. march — the month
  16. track — a path
  17. march — the month
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bulb — for light
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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