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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. file — a tool
  3. court — for sport
  4. object — to protest
  5. firm — decided
  6. object — an aim
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. key — the most important part
  9. object — a thing
  10. key — for a lock
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. file — a document
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. key — in music
  15. firm — steady
  16. file — a line of people
  17. court — of law
  18. prune — to trim
  19. firm — a company
  20. prune — to trim
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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