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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mug — a face
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. spring — of water
  6. bore — to tire
  7. staff — employees
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. can — a tin
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. spring — the season
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mug — a cup
  14. staff — a stick
  15. court — for sport
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. can — to be able to
  18. court — of a king
  19. can — a tin
  20. staff — employees
  21. mug — to rob
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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