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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: content · fork · temple · calf · present · ball · track · toast

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. present — there
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. present — the time now
  7. content — happy
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. track — a path
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. content — the amount
  15. present — a gift
  16. track — a song
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fork — in a road
  19. toast — bread
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. track — to keep track
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. ball — a dance

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