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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. net — for catching
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mark — a grade
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. net — in sport
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mark — a trace
  11. net — after costs
  12. track — a song
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. court — of law
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. court — of a king
  19. track — a path
  20. club — for dancing
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. court — for sport
  24. pop — music

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