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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. ground — a position
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ground — the earth
  7. court — for sport
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. key — in music
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. court — of a king
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. key — the most important part
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. snap — to click
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fine — all right
  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