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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. court — for sport
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. court — of a king
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. club — for golf
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. key — for a lock
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. key — the most important part
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. row — a line
  14. key — in music
  15. pass — a permit
  16. court — of law
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. club — a group
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. row — to paddle
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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