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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 120 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. court — for sport
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. pound — a weight
  6. last — to go on
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. last — finally
  10. spring — of water
  11. bass — the fish
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bass — low music
  16. pit — in a race
  17. last — final
  18. spring — a coil
  19. key — in music
  20. spring — the season
  21. court — of a king
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pit — a hole
  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