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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. pop — to visit
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pop — soda
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. track — a path
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. track — a song
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. net — in sport
  14. pop — music
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ball — a dance
  17. net — after costs
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. net — for catching
  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