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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. cue — a signal
  3. court — of law
  4. court — for sport
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. court — of a king
  8. track — a song
  9. ground — a position
  10. cue — a hint
  11. track — a path
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chair — a leader
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cue — for pool
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. ground — crushed
  20. track — to keep track
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. key — in music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. key — the most important part

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