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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. key — in music
  3. court — of a king
  4. hand — in cards
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. face — part of the head
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. face — to point toward
  12. band — a ring
  13. court — for sport
  14. band — a music group
  15. hand — help
  16. bass — the fish
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. court — of law
  19. bass — low music
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. face — to confront

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