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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 120 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. key — in music
  2. track — a path
  3. field — farmland
  4. court — of law
  5. rock — music
  6. court — of a king
  7. field — for sport
  8. kid — child
  9. pop — soda
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. track — to keep track
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pop — music
  15. staff — a stick
  16. track — a song
  17. field — a subject
  18. key — the most important part
  19. staff — employees
  20. court — for sport
  21. staff — employees
  22. rock — a stone
  23. key — for a lock
  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