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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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. key — the most important part
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. key — in music
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bulb — for light
  10. key — for a lock
  11. last — finally
  12. march — the month
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — shares
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. last — to go on
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stock — goods

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