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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. key — in music
  3. can — a tin
  4. suit — in cards
  5. can — a tin
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. suit — to fit
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. suit — clothes
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cold — an illness
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. pop — to visit
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — of law
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. pop — soda
  20. can — to be able to
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pop — music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. court — for sport

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