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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. game — wild animals
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. squash — to crush
  6. track — to keep track
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. game — a match
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bank — for money
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bulb — for light
  19. race — a contest
  20. bank — for money
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. squash — the sport
  23. race — humankind
  24. bank — of a river

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