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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.

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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. kid — to tease
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. kid — child
  11. staff — employees
  12. key — for a lock
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. craft — a skill
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. craft — boats
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg

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