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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. court — of a king
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. band — a music group
  6. club — for golf
  7. press — a publisher
  8. court — of law
  9. rock — music
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. key — the most important part
  12. band — a ring
  13. lean — to bend
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pass — a permit
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. key — in music
  20. club — a group
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. press — to push
  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