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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. club — for golf
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. key — for a lock
  10. object — an aim
  11. court — of a king
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. object — to protest
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. club — for dancing
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stem — to come from
  18. key — in music
  19. club — a group
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. court — of law
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. object — a thing
  24. stem — of a plant

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