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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. court — for sport
  3. foot — a measure
  4. key — in music
  5. court — of law
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. drill — army training
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. drill — the tool
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. game — a match
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. court — of a king
  21. drill — a practice
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. game — wild animals

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