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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fine — all right
  4. court — of a king
  5. bank — for money
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. key — in music
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. key — for a lock
  18. game — a match
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bank — for money
  21. key — the most important part
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. game — wild animals

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