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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. key — the most important part
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rule — government
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rule — a law
  13. spring — the season
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. row — a line
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. key — in music
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. row — to paddle
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. spring — of water
  24. key — for a lock

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