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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mate — a friend
  4. key — in music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. rest — what's left
  12. land — to come down
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pop — music
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. court — of law
  17. court — of a king
  18. land — ground
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. mate — a partner
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rest — a break
  24. land — a country

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