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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 120 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: wake · net · calf · ball · cap · mug · trunk · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. track — a song
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mug — a face
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. track — to keep track
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. net — for catching
  10. mug — to rob
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. ball — a great time
  13. net — in sport
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — a lid
  18. net — after costs
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mug — a cup
  23. wake — a trail
  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