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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. court — of law
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. court — for sport
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. chair — a leader
  9. court — of a king
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. spring — a coil
  17. snap — to click
  18. rock — music
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. nail — for a hammer

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