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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. swing — to play on
  5. net — after costs
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. net — in sport
  8. court — for sport
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. court — of a king
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. swing — in golf
  13. saw — the tool
  14. key — in music
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. key — the most important part
  18. net — for catching
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. court — of law
  22. chair — a leader
  23. swing — music
  24. bore — gave birth

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