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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rock — music
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. club — for dancing
  13. fine — high quality
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. court — of law
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. club — a group
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. court — for sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rock — a stone
  24. club — for golf

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