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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. key — for a lock
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bear — the animal
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. sharp — clever
  10. ball — a dance
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. foot — a measure
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bear — the animal
  15. board — to get on
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. key — in music
  18. board — a committee
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. key — the most important part
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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