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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. track — a path
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. track — a song
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. toast — bread
  14. stock — shares
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. chest — of your body
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stock — goods
  21. chest — of your body
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. chest — a box

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