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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. fine — high quality
  6. court — of a king
  7. rock — a stone
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. track — a song
  13. stand — to bear
  14. charge — a price
  15. court — for sport
  16. key — the most important part
  17. charge — in control
  18. band — a ring
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. court — of law
  23. key — in music
  24. fine — all right

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