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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: track · kick · trunk · calf · cold · scale · rock · firm

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rock — a stone
  3. firm — steady
  4. track — a path
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. firm — decided
  7. scale — in music
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. kick — in football
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cold — not warm
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. track — to keep track
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. track — a song
  20. rock — music
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. cold — an illness
  24. firm — a company

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