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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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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 · track · rule · bore · club · key · deal · safe

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. club — a group
  3. bore — to drill
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rule — government
  8. bore — to tire
  9. track — to keep track
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. key — for a lock
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. key — in music
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. deal — to handle
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. track — a song
  23. court — of law
  24. deal — a big deal

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