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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. band — a music group
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. ball — a dance
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ball — a great time
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. board — a committee
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mate — a friend
  21. board — to get on
  22. band — a ring
  23. track — a song
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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