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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. swing — to play on
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pop — to visit
  6. deal — to handle
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. key — for a lock
  12. swing — music
  13. pop — music
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. ball — a great time
  19. key — in music
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pop — soda
  23. swing — in golf
  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