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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bark — to shout
  6. degree — temperature
  7. key — in music
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bulb — for light
  14. degree — from a university
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bulb — for light
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. degree — an amount
  24. calf — of the leg

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