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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. key — for a lock
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. key — the most important part
  10. court — of a king
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bear — the animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. court — of law
  23. bear — the animal
  24. court — for sport

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