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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. net — after costs
  3. key — the most important part
  4. firm — decided
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. court — of law
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. court — of a king
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bore — to tire
  11. game — a match
  12. net — in sport
  13. firm — steady
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bore — to drill
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. court — for sport
  18. ball — a great time
  19. firm — a company
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. key — in music
  24. net — for catching

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