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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bulb — for light
  4. file — a line of people
  5. key — in music
  6. file — a document
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. key — the most important part
  9. craft — boats
  10. key — for a lock
  11. craft — a skill
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mine — for digging
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. file — a tool
  24. bulb — for light

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