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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. mark — a grade
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. suit — in cards
  11. track — to keep track
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mark — a trace
  14. track — a path
  15. roll — a cake
  16. file — a line of people
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. track — a song
  20. file — a tool
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. file — a document
  23. bark — to shout
  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