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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 shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rock — music
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. board — to get on
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. rest — what's left
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fine — all right
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. board — a committee
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. game — a match
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rest — a break
  21. rock — a stone
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rest — what's left
  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