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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. key — in music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. capital — money
  7. rest — a break
  8. content — happy
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. race — humankind
  11. capital — a city
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. content — the amount
  15. race — a contest
  16. rest — what's left
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — in a 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