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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. land — to come down
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. court — of law
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. court — of a king
  15. tube — a container
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. tube — the underground
  21. key — in music
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. court — for sport
  24. tube — in a tire

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