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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. key — for a lock
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. court — of a king
  5. march — music
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. key — the most important part
  9. rest — what's left
  10. court — for sport
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bank — of a river
  13. march — the month
  14. bank — for money
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rest — a break
  18. key — in music
  19. bank — for money
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. court — of law
  24. march — the month

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