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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. track — a path
  6. file — a document
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. land — to come down
  11. march — the month
  12. land — ground
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. march — music
  15. file — a tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. march — the month
  18. object — a thing
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. object — an aim
  21. file — a line of people
  22. object — to protest
  23. land — a country
  24. racket — a loud noise

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