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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. ground — crushed
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. branch — a division
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. ground — a position
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. track — a path
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. board — to get on
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. board — a committee
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. ground — the earth

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