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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. key — for a lock
  4. staff — employees
  5. object — to protest
  6. key — the most important part
  7. craft — boats
  8. court — of law
  9. key — in music
  10. court — of a king
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pop — soda
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. object — a thing
  16. pop — music
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cap — a lid
  19. craft — a skill
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. court — for sport
  24. pop — to visit

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