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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. season — of the year
  3. chip — for betting
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. court — of a king
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. season — in sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. snap — to click
  11. staff — employees
  12. court — for sport
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. chip — to eat
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. key — the most important part
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. court — of law
  24. staff — a stick

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