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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: hide · capital · bulb · ball · present · key · cue · calf

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. key — for a lock
  3. present — a gift
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ball — a great time
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. ball — a dance
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. capital — a city
  24. cue — for pool

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