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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rash — a series
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. court — of law
  6. key — in music
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. court — for sport
  9. present — the time now
  10. mine — for digging
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. court — of a king
  17. present — a gift
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. key — the most important part
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. rash — hasty

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