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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. band — a ring
  4. key — in music
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. branch — a division
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. key — for a lock
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. staff — employees
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. band — a music group
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. staff — employees
  24. key — the most important part

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