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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. kid — to tease
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. key — for a lock
  5. suit — clothes
  6. fine — high quality
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bore — to tire
  9. key — in music
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. kid — child
  16. bore — to drill
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. chair — a leader
  21. suit — to fit
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fine — all right
  24. court — of law

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