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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. key — the most important part
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. current — happening now
  9. key — for a lock
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. season — in sport
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. fine — high quality
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. row — a line
  18. fine — all right
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. current — of water
  21. season — of the year
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. row — to paddle
  24. current — electric

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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