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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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 law
  2. swing — to play on
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pop — soda
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. drill — army training
  7. lean — thin
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. court — of a king
  10. key — in music
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. court — for sport
  13. pop — music
  14. dip — to sink
  15. swing — music
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pop — to visit
  20. deal — to handle
  21. drill — the tool
  22. swing — in golf
  23. lean — to bend
  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