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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 120 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. key — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chair — a leader
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. scale — in music
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fork — in a road
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. key — for a lock
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. fork — to eat with

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