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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: sharp · calf · land · track · perch · chip · rock · bulb

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. track — a song
  6. bulb — for light
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. land — a country
  10. chip — for betting
  11. track — to keep track
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. sharp — clever
  16. chip — to eat
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. land — ground
  19. rock — a stone
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rock — music
  22. land — to come down
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. calf — of the leg

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