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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bass — the fish
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mark — a grade
  9. court — for sport
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. key — in music
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mark — a trace
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. snap — to click
  23. rash — a series
  24. tube — a container

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