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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. prune — to trim
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. key — in music
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. court — for sport
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. drill — army training
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. drill — the tool
  19. key — the most important part
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wake — a trail
  22. key — for a lock
  23. drill — a practice
  24. chair — a leader

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