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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. content — the amount
  3. cold — an illness
  4. key — in music
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. court — for sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. cold — not warm
  10. key — the most important part
  11. staff — a stick
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. court — of law
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. staff — employees
  16. board — to get on
  17. key — for a lock
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. content — happy
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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