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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. court — of a king
  3. degree — an amount
  4. key — in music
  5. row — to paddle
  6. court — for sport
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. court — of law
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — temperature
  17. club — for golf
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. row — a line
  24. fork — in a road

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