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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: pass · bass · dip · board · ball · court · race · key

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bass — the fish
  10. board — to get on
  11. bass — low music
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. key — in music
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. court — of law
  17. race — the arms race
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. race — a contest
  21. ball — a great time
  22. court — for sport
  23. dip — to sink
  24. race — humankind

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