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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 120 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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. cue — for pool
  3. key — the most important part
  4. court — for sport
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rest — a break
  9. court — of a king
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. cue — a hint
  12. row — a line
  13. stand — to bear
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cue — a signal
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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