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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: calf · march · suit · track · prune · bear · board · face

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bear — the animal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. face — to confront
  7. board — a committee
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. track — a path
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. suit — to fit
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. track — to keep track

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