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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. track — to keep track
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. firm — decided
  6. court — of a king
  7. firm — steady
  8. track — a song
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. game — a match
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. court — for sport
  20. game — wild animals
  21. track — a path
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. court — of law

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