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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pound — a weight
  3. track — to keep track
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. land — to come down
  8. suit — to fit
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. land — ground
  12. dip — to sink
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. track — a song
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. track — a path
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bulb — for light
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. land — a country

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