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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 124 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. club — for golf
  3. spring — of water
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. club — for dancing
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. club — a group
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. spring — the season
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. toast — bread
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rash — hasty
  19. spring — a coil
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. track — a song
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. track — a path
  24. rash — a series

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