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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. game — wild animals
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. key — in music
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. key — the most important part
  7. march — the month
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. game — a match

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