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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bound — obliged
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bound — tied together
  9. squash — to crush
  10. spring — of water
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bound — certain
  13. spring — the season
  14. court — of law
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. key — in music
  17. squash — the sport
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. spring — a coil
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — for sport
  24. key — for a lock

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