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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chest · rock · calf · track · pit · key · club · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pit — a hole
  3. club — for golf
  4. pit — in a race
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. row — to paddle
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chest — a box
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — a stone
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rock — music
  22. club — a group
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. track — a path

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