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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 116 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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mark — a grade
  4. court — for sport
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. bank — for money
  8. court — of a king
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. key — for a lock
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — of water
  13. mark — a trace
  14. spring — a coil
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bank — for money
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. key — in music
  20. bank — of a river
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. court — of law

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