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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pound — a weight
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spell — a short time
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. spell — magic
  11. key — in music
  12. spell — letters
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. kick — in football
  16. scale — size or range
  17. key — the most important part
  18. prune — to trim
  19. scale — in music
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. kick — a thrill

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