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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 120 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. tear — from crying
  3. board — a committee
  4. object — a thing
  5. track — a song
  6. prune — to trim
  7. march — music
  8. object — to protest
  9. tear — from crying
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pop — soda
  15. board — to get on
  16. pop — music
  17. object — an aim
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. track — to keep track
  21. tear — to rip
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. pop — to visit

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