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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. key — in music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ball — a dance
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. sharp — clever
  12. court — of a king
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rock — music
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. court — for sport
  17. ball — a great time
  18. tube — the underground
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. tube — a container
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. straw — a straw man

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