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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 116 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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Word bank
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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. key — in music
  4. game — a match
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pit — in a race
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. key — for a lock
  11. land — a country
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pit — a hole
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. key — the most important part
  21. land — ground
  22. plane — a tool
  23. rush — hurry
  24. calf — a young animal

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