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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: lie · track · calf · jam · ball · craft · sharp · present

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. track — to keep track
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. track — a song
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. track — a path
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. present — there
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ball — a dance
  12. present — the time now
  13. sharp — clever
  14. craft — boats
  15. lie — to recline
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. present — a gift

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