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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. track — a path
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. club — a group
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. court — of a king
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. court — for sport
  13. track — to keep track
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. club — for dancing
  16. content — happy
  17. court — of law
  18. craft — a skill
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. club — for golf
  21. content — the amount
  22. craft — boats
  23. pass — a permit
  24. track — a song

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