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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: fall · club · wound · object · cap · court · wake · key

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. object — a thing
  3. court — of law
  4. object — an aim
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fall — to drop
  8. object — to protest
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. club — for golf
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. court — for sport
  14. key — the most important part
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. club — a group
  19. fall — to drop
  20. club — for dancing
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. fall — the season
  24. cap — a hat

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