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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. mate — to breed
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. shower — rain
  10. rock — a stone
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rock — music
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. roll — a list
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. roll — a cake
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. track — a song
  24. mate — a partner

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