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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. kid — to tease
  3. march — music
  4. kid — child
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. club — a group
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. deal — to handle
  12. court — of a king
  13. object — an aim
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. march — the month
  16. object — a thing
  17. court — for sport
  18. club — for golf
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. club — for dancing
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. object — to protest
  24. march — the month

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