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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rest — what's left
  3. court — of law
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. chest — a box
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cap — a lid
  8. chest — of your body
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cap — a hat
  11. key — in music
  12. court — of a king
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stand — to bear
  15. key — the most important part
  16. can — a tin
  17. rest — what's left
  18. key — for a lock
  19. can — to be able to
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. can — a tin
  23. rest — a break
  24. cap — of ice

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