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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. land — to come down
  6. key — for a lock
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rock — a stone
  9. land — ground
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. land — a country
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. court — of law
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rock — music

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