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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. court — of a king
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mug — a face
  5. rock — music
  6. court — for sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. key — the most important part
  13. perch — the fish
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. mug — a cup
  17. key — for a lock
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rock — a stone
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. court — of law
  23. mug — to rob
  24. key — in music

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