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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. branch — a division
  3. object — an aim
  4. key — for a lock
  5. present — the time now
  6. object — a thing
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. dip — to sink
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. game — a match
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. key — in music
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. present — there
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. object — to protest
  22. game — wild animals
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. present — a gift

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