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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. chair — a leader
  5. track — to keep track
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pit — in a race
  18. track — a song
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a signal

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