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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. track — a path
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pop — music
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. root — the cause
  15. track — to keep track
  16. face — to confront
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. pitch — completely
  20. track — a song
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pop — soda

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