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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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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: jam · scale · court · row · pass · key · kick · kid

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Every pianist practices the C 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. key — for a lock
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — child
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. scale — size or range
  7. key — in music
  8. pass — a permit
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. row — to paddle
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. row — a line
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. key — the most important part
  15. court — of a king
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. court — of law
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — in football
  23. scale — 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