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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. season — in sport
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. race — a contest
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. track — a path
  8. current — of water
  9. court — of law
  10. race — humankind
  11. track — to keep track
  12. current — happening now
  13. key — in music
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. key — the most important part
  16. track — a song
  17. season — of the year
  18. current — electric
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. court — for sport
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. key — for a lock

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