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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pound — a weight
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. track — a path
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. season — of the year
  14. root — the cause
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. season — in sport
  17. root — of a word
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. root — of a plant
  22. key — in music
  23. track — a song
  24. ball — a great time

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