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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. present — the time now
  3. court — of law
  4. land — to come down
  5. track — a song
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. track — a path
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. present — there
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. land — a country
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. present — a gift
  14. court — of a king
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. snap — to click
  19. court — for sport
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. track — to keep track
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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