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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. kid — child
  7. court — of a king
  8. kid — to tease
  9. court — of law
  10. key — in music
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. court — for sport
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bank — for money
  21. bulb — for light
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bank — for money

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