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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. track — a song
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. season — of the year
  11. can — a tin
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. court — of law
  16. can — to be able to
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. season — in sport
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. court — for sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. court — of a king
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mark — a grade

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