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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 116 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: field · pop · cue · track · calf · saw · ball · sharp

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cue — a hint
  7. track — a path
  8. cue — for pool
  9. track — to keep track
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pop — music
  13. track — a song
  14. field — a subject
  15. pop — soda
  16. saw — the tool
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cue — a signal
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pop — to visit
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — for sport
  24. calf — a young animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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