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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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 — for a lock
  2. bank — for money
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. present — a gift
  5. key — in music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cold — not warm
  11. present — the time now
  12. bank — for money
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. present — there
  16. cold — an illness
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. club — for dancing
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. key — the most important part
  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