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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. track — a song
  2. rest — what's left
  3. spring — the season
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rest — what's left
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rest — a break
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. spring — of water
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. track — to keep track
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. track — a path
  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