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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. key — the most important part
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rest — a break
  4. band — a ring
  5. bear — the animal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. court — for sport
  9. wound — an injury
  10. court — of law
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. key — in music
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rest — what's left
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bear — the animal
  19. court — of a king
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rest — what's left
  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