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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. staff — a stick
  3. object — a thing
  4. mug — to rob
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. staff — employees
  7. object — to protest
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pit — a hole
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pit — in a race
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. track — a song
  15. chip — for betting
  16. object — an aim
  17. pop — music
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pop — soda
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. staff — employees
  23. track — a path
  24. mug — a face

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