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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 124 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  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 — in music
  2. toast — bread
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. net — in sport
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. net — after costs
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — to wash
  9. march — the month
  10. key — the most important part
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. net — for catching
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. key — for a lock
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. march — music
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. march — the month
  23. toast — the most admired
  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