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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cue — a signal
  3. track — to keep track
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. pitch — completely
  7. track — a song
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bat — the animal
  14. rest — a break
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. cue — for pool
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rest — what's left
  23. track — a path
  24. calf — a young animal

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