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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. track — a path
  3. capital — money
  4. firm — a company
  5. craft — boats
  6. bass — the fish
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pop — to visit
  11. firm — decided
  12. pop — soda
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. track — a song
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. track — to keep track
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pop — music
  22. firm — steady
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. capital — a city

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