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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. board — to get on
  7. scale — in music
  8. snap — to click
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. scale — size or range
  11. key — the most important part
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. key — in music
  19. board — a committee
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. track — a song
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. prune — to trim
  24. key — for a lock

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