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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: can · court · pop · drill · club · key · deal · pitch

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pop — soda
  4. deal — to handle
  5. drill — a practice
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. key — the most important part
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pop — to visit
  10. club — a group
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. can — a tin
  15. court — of law
  16. pitch — completely
  17. court — for sport
  18. key — in music
  19. drill — army training
  20. can — a tin
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pop — music
  24. club — for golf

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