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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 120 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cue — for pool
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. cue — a hint
  10. court — of a king
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. court — for sport
  15. cue — a signal
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bank — for money
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bank — of a river
  22. rash — hasty
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bank — for money

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