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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. key — for a lock
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. race — humankind
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. court — for sport
  8. key — the most important part
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. court — of law
  12. pop — to visit
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. key — in music
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pop — soda
  19. court — of a king
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — the arms race
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. pop — music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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