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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pound — a weight
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. suit — to fit
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. suit — in cards
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cold — not warm
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. row — to paddle
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cold — an illness
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. track — a path
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. row — a line
  23. racket — for tennis
  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