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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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 great time
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bank — of a river
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ball — a dance
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. court — for sport
  17. bank — for money
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — of law
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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