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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. court — of law
  5. key — in music
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. court — for sport
  14. bound — certain
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. wake — a trail
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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