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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: court · chair · fork · cap · object · key · bass · pop

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. court — of a king
  6. key — in music
  7. object — to protest
  8. pop — to visit
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. cap — a hat
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. object — an aim
  15. pop — music
  16. court — of law
  17. pop — soda
  18. object — a thing
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bass — the fish
  22. key — for a lock
  23. court — for sport
  24. bass — low music

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