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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. key — in music
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hand — in cards
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rule — a law
  17. key — for a lock
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rule — government
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. hand — help
  24. bat — the animal

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