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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. fine — high quality
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. key — the most important part
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fine — all right
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pop — soda
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rest — a break
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. court — of law
  18. rest — what's left
  19. court — of a king
  20. pop — to visit
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pop — music
  23. key — in music
  24. court — for sport

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