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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. court — of a king
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. key — the most important part
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. key — in music
  7. craft — boats
  8. track — a song
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. land — a country
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. track — to keep track
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. track — a path
  18. key — for a lock
  19. court — of law
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. court — for sport
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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