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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of 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. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rock — a stone
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mark — a trace
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. ball — a great time
  14. track — a path
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. track — a song
  19. cap — of ice
  20. saw — the tool
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. foot — the bottom

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