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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. court — of a king
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. key — the most important part
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. court — for sport
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. object — to protest
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — to cut
  14. suit — in cards
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. court — of law
  18. key — in music
  19. object — an aim
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. key — for a lock
  22. clip — for paper
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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