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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. last — final
  3. last — to go on
  4. march — the month
  5. last — finally
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. capital — money
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. march — music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rule — government
  16. key — in music
  17. rule — a law
  18. capital — a city
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. key — the most important part
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. march — the month
  24. capital — a big letter

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