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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. court — of law
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fine — all right
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. court — for sport
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. court — of a king
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bat — the animal
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — the most important part

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