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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 116 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: stick · club · snap · calf · dip · land · pop · track

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. club — for dancing
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. dip — to sink
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. track — to keep track
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. land — a country
  15. club — for golf
  16. pop — soda
  17. snap — to click
  18. track — a song
  19. club — a group
  20. track — a path
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pop — to visit
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — ground

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