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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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. track — a path
  4. march — music
  5. track — a song
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cue — a hint
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. march — the month
  12. rest — a break
  13. cue — a signal
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cue — for pool
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. march — the month
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. temple — side of the head

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