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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. court — of law
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. key — the most important part
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. band — a music group
  9. key — in music
  10. track — a path
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. key — for a lock
  13. court — for sport
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. band — a ring
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. court — of a king
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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