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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. scale — in music
  4. face — to confront
  5. bank — of a river
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. season — of the year
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. scale — size or range
  17. face — to point toward
  18. key — for a lock
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. season — in sport
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mark — a trace
  24. key — in music

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