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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. kid — to tease
  4. cap — a lid
  5. key — in music
  6. fork — in a road
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bass — the fish
  14. track — to keep track
  15. kid — child
  16. track — a path
  17. cap — a hat
  18. key — the most important part
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bass — low music
  24. cap — of ice

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