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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pop — music
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. key — in music
  8. court — of law
  9. key — for a lock
  10. ball — a great time
  11. court — of a king
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — soda
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bark — to shout
  22. cell — a phone
  23. court — for sport
  24. bark — of a tree

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