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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 116 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. track — a song
  3. bat — the animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. ball — a dance
  6. key — for a lock
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ball — a great time
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. track — a path
  14. key — in music
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rest — what's left
  19. kick — in football
  20. key — the most important part
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. track — to keep track

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