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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. track — to keep track
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bass — the fish
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. track — a path
  10. bass — low music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fall — to drop
  14. kid — child
  15. fall — the season
  16. track — a song
  17. kid — to tease
  18. scale — in music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. safe — a strongbox

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