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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. can — to be able to
  3. cue — a hint
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of a king
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. court — of law
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. cue — a signal
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. scale — size or range
  17. roll — a list
  18. key — the most important part
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. roll — a cake
  21. cue — for pool
  22. key — for a lock
  23. scale — in music
  24. key — in music

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