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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. squash — to crush
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. track — a song
  6. club — for dancing
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. club — for golf
  11. staff — employees
  12. club — a group
  13. wake — a trail
  14. march — music
  15. squash — the sport
  16. march — the month
  17. staff — employees
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. march — the month
  24. track — a path

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