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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. cap — of ice
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. file — a document
  6. cap — a hat
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. present — the time now
  9. track — a path
  10. ground — a position
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. present — a gift
  14. file — a line of people
  15. ground — crushed
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. file — a tool
  18. cap — a lid
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. ground — the earth
  21. track — a song
  22. row — to paddle
  23. track — to keep track
  24. present — there

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