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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. swing — in golf
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. root — the cause
  6. prune — to trim
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. root — of a plant
  9. track — a path
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. track — to keep track
  15. prune — to trim
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. swing — to play on
  19. root — of a word
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. swing — music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. date — the fruit
  24. safe — a strongbox

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