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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. track — to keep track
  4. court — of law
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. root — of a plant
  7. firm — decided
  8. root — of a word
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. root — the cause
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. firm — a company
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. court — of a king
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. firm — steady
  17. bat — the animal
  18. court — for sport
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. track — a path
  24. racket — for tennis

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