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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. band — a ring
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. mate — to breed
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. key — for a lock
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mate — a friend
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ball — a great time
  20. band — a music group
  21. object — an aim
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. object — to protest
  24. mate — a partner

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