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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. key — for a lock
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. board — to get on
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. firm — steady
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. board — a committee
  13. sharp — clever
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. firm — decided
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bass — the fish
  20. craft — boats
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a city
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. capital — a big letter

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