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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fall — the season
  5. track — to keep track
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pass — a permit
  8. drill — army training
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. fall — to drop
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pop — to visit
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pop — music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pop — soda
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. track — a path

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