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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. firm — steady
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. spring — a coil
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. spring — of water
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. key — for a lock
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. spring — the season
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. dip — to sink

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