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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. roll — a list
  3. court — for sport
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mine — for digging
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. season — of the year
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. court — of a king
  15. season — in sport
  16. craft — boats
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wax — to grow
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. roll — a cake
  23. key — for a lock
  24. snap — to click

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