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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lean — thin
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. track — a song
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chip — for betting
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. track — a path
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pitch — completely
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lean — to bend
  24. fan — a supporter

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