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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mark — a grade
  7. club — a group
  8. squash — the sport
  9. spell — letters
  10. club — for golf
  11. squash — to crush
  12. spell — a short time
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. key — for a lock
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. spell — magic
  18. key — in music
  19. band — a ring
  20. club — for dancing
  21. band — a music group
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. squash — the vegetable

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