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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. staff — employees
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bank — for money
  5. court — for sport
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rest — what's left
  8. staff — a stick
  9. scale — in music
  10. bank — for money
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. ball — a great time
  13. scale — size or range
  14. staff — employees
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. court — of a king
  20. rest — a break
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bank — of a river
  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