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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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. court — of a king
  10. key — the most important part
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality

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