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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. present — a gift
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. charge — in control
  7. present — there
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. key — the most important part
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bank — for money
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — an amount
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bank — of a river
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. bank — for money
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. track — to keep track
  23. degree — temperature
  24. present — the time now

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