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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. key — in music
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. race — a contest
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. last — final
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fork — in a road
  14. last — to go on
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. last — finally
  17. rock — music
  18. bass — low music
  19. race — humankind
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cue — a signal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. race — the arms race

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