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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
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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: fine · key · bay · track · wave · staff · court · lie

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. court — for sport
  3. fine — high quality
  4. staff — employees
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. key — in music
  7. court — of law
  8. fine — all right
  9. staff — a stick
  10. track — a song
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. key — the most important part
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. lie — to recline
  22. staff — employees
  23. track — a path
  24. court — of a king

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