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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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. bass — the instrument
  4. root — the cause
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bass — the fish
  8. can — a tin
  9. charge — electricity
  10. court — for sport
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. key — the most important part
  13. court — of law
  14. can — to be able to
  15. key — in music
  16. bass — low music
  17. content — happy
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. can — a tin
  21. root — of a word
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pitch — completely

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