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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. key — for a lock
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. ball — a great time
  7. key — in music
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. net — after costs
  12. bass — low music
  13. bound — obliged
  14. club — a group
  15. net — for catching
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bound — tied together
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bound — certain
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. club — for golf
  23. net — in sport
  24. cabinet — ministers

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