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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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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 · mark · track · temple · bay · racket · club · fine

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. club — for golf
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. track — a song
  8. club — for dancing
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mark — a grade
  11. club — a group
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fine — all right
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. track — to keep track
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. track — a path
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mark — a trace
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. racket — for tennis

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