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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 116 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. key — the most important part
  7. land — ground
  8. pit — in a race
  9. land — to come down
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pit — a hole
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. file — a document
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. saw — the tool
  17. land — a country
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. ball — a great time
  20. key — for a lock
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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