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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. key — in music
  4. perch — the fish
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ball — a dance
  7. row — to paddle
  8. field — for sport
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. field — farmland
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. stock — goods
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. row — a line
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. key — for a lock
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. field — a subject
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. row — a quarrel

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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