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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. toast — bread
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. kid — to tease
  6. key — in music
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — boats
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. track — a path
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. kid — child
  14. board — a committee
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. track — a song
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. content — happy
  22. content — the amount
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. calf — a young animal

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