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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. present — the time now
  3. key — in music
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. staff — employees
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. stock — shares
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. court — of a king
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. stock — goods
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  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