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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rest — a break
  5. key — in music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. branch — a division
  10. season — in sport
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. season — of the year
  14. saw — the tool
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. saw — the tool
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rest — what's left
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rest — what's left
  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