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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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. court — of a king
  3. key — the most important part
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. root — the cause
  8. key — in music
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. ball — a great time
  16. root — of a word
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wound — an injury
  19. court — for sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pound — a weight
  22. fork — in a road
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. court — of law

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