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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bark · key · racket · rush · game · club · pass

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pass — a permit
  3. court — of law
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. court — for sport
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. key — in music
  10. game — wild animals
  11. club — a group
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. key — the most important part
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. court — of a king
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bark — to shout
  20. game — a match
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — for dancing
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pass — to succeed

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