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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. last — final
  3. key — in music
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. last — finally
  9. rule — a law
  10. game — wild animals
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. key — the most important part
  14. present — there
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. suit — clothes
  17. last — to go on
  18. mate — a friend
  19. suit — in cards
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rule — government
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. calf — a young animal

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