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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. key — in music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. track — a song
  8. key — for a lock
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. hand — help
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. track — to keep track
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. hand — in cards
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fork — in a road
  21. key — the most important part
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. fork — to eat with

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