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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. branch — a division
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. track — a path
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. pit — a hole
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pass — a permit
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. sharp — clever
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. track — a song
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pit — in a race
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. calf — a young animal

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