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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.

Make a worksheet

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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. march — music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. net — in sport
  5. spell — magic
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. scale — in music
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. march — the month
  15. net — after costs
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. key — for a lock
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. scale — size or range
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. net — for catching
  22. spell — letters
  23. key — in music
  24. spell — a short time

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