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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. swing — to play on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. season — of the year
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fine — all right
  7. key — for a lock
  8. fine — high quality
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. swing — music
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. mate — a friend
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. firm — decided
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mate — to breed
  18. key — in music
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. firm — a company
  21. kid — to tease
  22. key — the most important part
  23. firm — steady
  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