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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · mine · march · club · rest · fork · calf · bay

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. march — music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. fork — in a road
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. key — in music
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. club — for golf
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. rest — what's left
  18. key — for a lock
  19. club — a group
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rest — a break
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bay — a horse colour

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