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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — certain
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. key — for a lock
  10. season — of the year
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. key — in music
  16. mine — for digging
  17. game — a match
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. key — the most important part
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. season — in sport
  24. mine — belonging to me

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