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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bass — the fish
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. field — farmland
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. field — a subject
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bass — low music
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. track — a path
  16. field — for sport
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. track — a song
  20. rock — a stone
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rock — music
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pit — in a race

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