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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. key — the most important part
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. rest — what's left
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. key — in music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bear — the animal
  17. court — of law
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. racket — for tennis

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