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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: clip · pop · cell · coach · track · mouse · calf · object

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. track — a path
  4. cell — in biology
  5. track — to keep track
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. object — to protest
  9. clip — a video
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. clip — to cut
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. object — an aim
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. track — a song
  18. pop — music
  19. object — a thing
  20. pop — soda
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cell — a phone
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. clip — for paper

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