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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. degree — from a university
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. track — a path
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. toast — bread
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. track — to keep track
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. calf — of the leg

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