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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. key — for a lock
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. key — the most important part
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bulb — for light
  8. court — of law
  9. face — part of the head
  10. board — to get on
  11. bass — low music
  12. key — in music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. face — to confront
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. board — a committee
  18. court — for sport
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bass — the fish
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. scale — in music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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