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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 120 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cap — of ice
  7. court — of law
  8. season — of the year
  9. cap — a hat
  10. hand — help
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. craft — boats
  14. key — in music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hand — in cards
  17. cap — a lid
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. craft — a skill
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. court — for sport
  22. season — in sport
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. court — of a king

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