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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lie — to recline
  8. capital — a city
  9. key — in music
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. rock — a stone
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. capital — money
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. key — for a lock
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rock — music
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bark — to shout

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