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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 116 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. object — to protest
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bound — tied together
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. key — the most important part
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. capital — money
  18. key — for a lock
  19. capital — a city
  20. suit — to fit
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. net — in sport
  24. key — in music

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