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

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pop — music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pop — to visit
  11. court — of law
  12. row — to paddle
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. court — of a king
  15. pop — soda
  16. court — for sport
  17. row — a line
  18. bass — the instrument

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