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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 · can · fall · calf · march · racket · cap · cell

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. march — the month
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cell — in biology
  7. can — a tin
  8. march — the month
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cap — of ice
  14. fall — the season
  15. can — a tin
  16. track — a path
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. track — a song
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cell — a phone
  22. can — to be able to
  23. cap — a hat
  24. march — music

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