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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rock — a stone
  4. court — of a king
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. key — for a lock
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mug — a cup
  10. roll — a list
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mug — a face
  13. fall — the season
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. key — in music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. court — for sport
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. key — the most important part
  24. court — of law

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