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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: hide · trunk · mark · pound · calf · ball · land · track

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. track — a path
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mark — a grade
  9. ball — a dance
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. track — to keep track
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mark — a trace
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. ball — a great time
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. land — ground
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pound — a weight
  23. track — a song
  24. ball — a round shape

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