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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · can · bat · court · cell · key

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. key — for a lock
  5. can — a tin
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bat — the animal
  8. key — in music
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. can — a tin
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. can — to be able to
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of law
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. key — the most important part

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