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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 124 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mug — to rob
  4. court — for sport
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. key — in music
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. last — finally
  12. track — a song
  13. mug — a face
  14. key — the most important part
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. track — to keep track
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. track — a path
  22. mug — a cup
  23. key — for a lock
  24. court — of a king

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