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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. court — for sport
  2. bound — certain
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. key — in music
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mug — a face
  7. scale — size or range
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bound — obliged
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. land — to come down
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mug — to rob
  16. scale — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. land — ground
  20. bound — tied together
  21. land — a country
  22. rush — hurry
  23. court — of a king
  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