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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. key — in music
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. date — the fruit
  14. court — of law
  15. row — to paddle
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pass — a permit
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. scale — in music
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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