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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. court — of a king
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. cue — a signal
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. net — for catching
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. court — for sport
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wind — moving air
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. wound — an injury
  24. court — of law

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