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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. suit — clothes
  3. court — for sport
  4. suit — to fit
  5. court — of a king
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. current — electric
  13. wound — an injury
  14. key — in music
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. court — of law
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — in football
  20. suit — in cards
  21. key — the most important part
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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