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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. key — for a lock
  4. scale — in music
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. scale — size or range
  9. game — a match
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. key — in music
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. ball — a great time
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ball — a dance
  17. key — the most important part
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mark — to pay attention

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