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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. scale — size or range
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. root — the cause
  5. scale — in music
  6. object — a thing
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. track — to keep track
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. rule — a law
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. object — to protest
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. capital — a city
  18. object — an aim
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. rule — government
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a big letter

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