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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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. key — the most important part
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pound — a weight
  14. key — in music
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mine — for digging
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. key — for a lock
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pound — to hit hard

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