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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. chest — of your body
  2. key — the most important part
  3. suit — clothes
  4. rash — a series
  5. court — of a king
  6. key — in music
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. shower — rain
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. chest — a box
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. shower — to wash
  19. court — for sport
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. key — for a lock
  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