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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. court — for sport
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. land — to come down
  7. clip — for paper
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rock — music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. clip — a video
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. clip — to cut
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. rock — a stone
  18. land — ground
  19. court — of a king
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. land — a country
  23. court — of law
  24. chair — a leader

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