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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. track — a song
  3. court — for sport
  4. spell — magic
  5. track — to keep track
  6. spell — letters
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. root — the cause
  9. key — the most important part
  10. spell — a short time
  11. court — of a king
  12. root — of a plant
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rock — a stone
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. track — a path
  19. court — of law
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. key — for a lock
  22. root — of a word
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. lash — to lash out

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