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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: mate · toast · chair · mouse · calf · ruler · key · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. land — ground
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. toast — bread
  7. key — the most important part
  8. chair — a leader
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. key — for a lock
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — a friend
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. land — a country
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mate — to breed
  23. key — in music
  24. mouse — the 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