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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. toast — bread
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. squash — to crush
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. squash — the sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. track — to keep track
  16. board — to get on
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. board — a committee
  19. court — of law
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. track — a path
  22. spell — letters
  23. court — for sport
  24. toast — the most admired

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