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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mark — a trace
  3. land — a country
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. land — to come down
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. staff — employees
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. land — ground
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mark — a grade
  15. key — for a lock
  16. staff — employees
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. content — happy
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. content — the amount
  24. stand — to bear

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