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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rule — a law
  3. court — of a king
  4. pop — music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pitch — completely
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pop — to visit
  10. key — the most important part
  11. court — of law
  12. pop — soda
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. sharp — clever
  18. court — for sport
  19. key — in music
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rule — government
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — exactly

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