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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cue — for pool
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. cue — a signal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rush — hurry
  14. row — a line
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. track — a song
  18. perch — the fish
  19. row — to paddle
  20. fork — in a road
  21. cue — a hint
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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