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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pit — in a race
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. band — a music group
  6. track — a path
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. plane — a tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. sharp — clever
  12. club — for golf
  13. band — a ring
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pit — a hole
  16. track — a song
  17. perch — the fish
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. plane — in geometry

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