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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pass — a permit
  3. mug — a face
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pop — soda
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pop — to visit
  8. track — a path
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. track — a song
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pop — music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. track — to keep track
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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