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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. track — a path
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. ground — a position
  11. branch — a division
  12. pop — to visit
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pop — music
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pop — soda
  24. fork — in a road

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