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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. staff — employees
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. track — a path
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. track — a song
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. suit — in cards
  12. staff — employees
  13. key — for a lock
  14. court — of a king
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. lie — to recline
  18. suit — to fit
  19. staff — a stick
  20. key — in music
  21. court — for sport
  22. key — the most important part
  23. suit — clothes
  24. fall — to drop

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