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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. court — of law
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. court — of a king
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rash — a series
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. key — for a lock
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. key — the most important part
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. rash — hasty
  18. key — in music
  19. game — wild animals
  20. court — for sport
  21. stand — to bear
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. game — a match
  24. rush — hurry

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