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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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. court — of law
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. court — for sport
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. key — for a lock
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. face — to point toward
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. court — of a king
  16. drill — a practice
  17. key — the most important part
  18. face — part of the head
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. can — a tin
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. face — to confront
  24. key — in music

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