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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. key — in music
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. chair — a leader
  11. court — for sport
  12. chip — for betting
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. court — of a king
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wax — to grow
  17. court — of law
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. chair — to sit on

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