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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. key — in music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kid — to tease
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. board — to get on
  13. court — of a king
  14. kid — child
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. mine — for digging
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bat — the animal
  23. board — a committee
  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