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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. present — the time now
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. rule — a law
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rule — government
  8. fall — to drop
  9. content — the amount
  10. fall — to drop
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. content — happy
  16. court — of law
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. court — of a king
  19. present — there
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fall — the season
  22. court — for sport
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. present — a gift

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