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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. court — of law
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. key — for a lock
  8. spring — of water
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fork — in a road
  11. dip — to sink
  12. court — of a king
  13. season — of the year
  14. spring — a coil
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. court — for sport
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. spring — the season
  23. season — in sport
  24. dip — a sauce

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