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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. object — a thing
  7. row — a line
  8. land — a country
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. land — ground
  11. land — to come down
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bank — for money
  15. fine — all right
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. key — the most important part
  21. object — to protest
  22. key — in music
  23. object — an aim
  24. row — to paddle

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