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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. field — for sport
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. track — to keep track
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. track — a path
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. track — a song
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bark — to shout
  13. staff — a stick
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. field — a subject
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. field — farmland
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. staff — employees
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. staff — employees
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. calf — a young animal

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