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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. key — for a lock
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. court — of law
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. court — of a king
  12. wind — moving air
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. club — for dancing
  17. board — a committee
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. key — in music
  21. branch — a division
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  24. court — for sport

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