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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. march — the month
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. key — in music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. scale — size or range
  11. hand — in cards
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hand — help
  14. key — for a lock
  15. scale — in music
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bear — the animal
  18. swing — to play on
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bat — the animal
  22. march — the month
  23. key — the most important part
  24. march — 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