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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. track — a path
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pop — music
  7. track — to keep track
  8. object — an aim
  9. track — a song
  10. land — to come down
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. land — ground
  13. object — to protest
  14. land — a country
  15. object — a thing
  16. pop — soda
  17. fall — the season
  18. cue — a signal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cue — for pool
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — to handle

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