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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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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. key — the most important part
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. can — a tin
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. prune — to trim
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. swing — to play on
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. swing — music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. can — to be able to
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. swing — in golf
  22. key — for a lock
  23. can — a tin
  24. key — in 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