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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pop — soda
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. file — a document
  6. rock — music
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. key — in music
  10. file — a line of people
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. pop — to visit
  16. can — a tin
  17. key — for a lock
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mate — a partner
  21. key — the most important part
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pop — music
  24. file — a tool

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