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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. key — in music
  3. cap — a lid
  4. spell — letters
  5. mine — for digging
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cap — of ice
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. scale — in music
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stand — to bear
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stand — on your feet

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