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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 opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. court — of law
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. ball — a great time
  5. can — a tin
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. can — to be able to
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. key — for a lock
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chest — of your body
  22. key — in music
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. key — the most important part

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