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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mine — for digging
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. track — a song
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. board — to get on
  20. ball — a great time
  21. track — a path
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. sharp — clever
  24. board — a committee

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