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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. track — to keep track
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stock — shares
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. track — a path
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. cap — of ice
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. branch — a division
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. stock — goods
  20. vault — a safe
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. chair — a leader
  23. cap — a lid
  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