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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 · track · object · cap · court · field · bay · chip

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. object — an aim
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — to protest
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. field — a subject
  10. track — a path
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. track — a song
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. chip — for betting
  18. field — for sport
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. field — farmland
  22. track — to keep track
  23. court — of a king
  24. calf — a young animal

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