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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bound — tied together
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ground — the earth
  5. march — the month
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. march — music
  9. bound — certain
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. present — the time now
  13. bound — obliged
  14. key — for a lock
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stem — to come from
  18. present — there
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. ground — crushed
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. march — the month
  24. present — a gift

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