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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. sharp — clever
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. key — the most important part
  5. club — a group
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. present — the time now
  8. court — of law
  9. bear — the animal
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. court — for sport
  13. club — for dancing
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. key — for a lock
  16. club — for golf
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bear — the animal
  19. key — in music
  20. court — of a king
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. dip — to sink

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