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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. kid — child
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. court — of a king
  8. race — a contest
  9. net — after costs
  10. race — the arms race
  11. court — of law
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. court — for sport
  16. key — for a lock
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. kid — to tease
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. key — in music
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. key — the most important part

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