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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 120 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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. track — a song
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. track — to keep track
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. board — to get on
  9. stock — goods
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stock — shares
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. sharp — clever
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. track — a path
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. board — a committee
  24. racket — for tennis

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