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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fine — all right
  3. rock — music
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rock — a stone
  8. ball — a great time
  9. club — for golf
  10. court — for sport
  11. key — for a lock
  12. prune — to trim
  13. club — for dancing
  14. key — the most important part
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. key — in music
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. court — of a king
  21. club — a group
  22. fine — high quality
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. court — of law

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