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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. swing — music
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. swing — to play on
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. spell — magic
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. swing — in golf
  13. court — for sport
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. object — to protest
  16. court — of law
  17. key — for a lock
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. spell — letters
  21. key — in music
  22. pitch — completely
  23. scale — size or range
  24. key — the most important part

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