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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. rock — music
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. key — in music
  8. track — a path
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. track — to keep track
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. key — the most important part
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. current — happening now
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. key — for a lock
  18. track — a song
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — to wash
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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