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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. court — of a king
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. court — of law
  8. fine — high quality
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. key — the most important part
  13. court — for sport
  14. can — a tin
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. stem — to come from
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fine — all right
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. can — a tin

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