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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. rest — a break
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. court — of law
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bound — tied together
  24. rest — what's left

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