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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. spring — a coil
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. craft — boats
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pound — a weight
  15. spring — the season
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. swing — to play on
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. spring — of water
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in biology
  24. track — to keep track

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