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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: key · row · mate · sharp · cabinet · court · roll · suit

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mate — a friend
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. court — of a king
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mate — to breed
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. key — the most important part
  13. sharp — clever
  14. row — to paddle
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. roll — a cake
  17. court — of law
  18. suit — clothes
  19. roll — a list
  20. court — for sport
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. key — in music
  23. mate — a partner
  24. row — a line

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