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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
468
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: court · safe · cue · row · bay · bulb · key · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cue — a signal
  3. key — for a lock
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. key — the most important part
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bulb — for light
  10. court — of law
  11. row — a line
  12. row — to paddle
  13. key — in music
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. court — for sport
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. court — of a king
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cue — for pool

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