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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. net — for catching
  3. ball — a dance
  4. board — a committee
  5. key — in music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rest — what's left
  8. saw — the tool
  9. board — to get on
  10. ball — a great time
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. net — after costs
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. mate — to breed
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. net — in sport
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. mate — a friend
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mate — a partner

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