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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. cell — a phone
  4. tube — a container
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. suit — to fit
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. march — the month
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. march — the month
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. prune — to trim
  14. march — music
  15. suit — clothes
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cell — in biology
  18. track — a path
  19. suit — in cards
  20. track — a song
  21. tube — the underground
  22. scale — size or range
  23. prune — to trim
  24. scale — in music

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