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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bay · bark · date · pass · court · key · spell · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. key — in music
  3. pass — a permit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. key — for a lock
  6. court — of a king
  7. game — a match
  8. date — the fruit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bark — to shout
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. key — the most important part
  21. court — of law
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. court — for sport
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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