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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. key — in music
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. court — of law
  8. court — of a king
  9. key — for a lock
  10. spell — a short time
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. court — for sport
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. key — the most important part
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — a measure
  17. wax — to grow
  18. spell — letters
  19. deal — to handle
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — of water
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. spell — magic
  24. jam — a tight spot

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