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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. prune — to trim
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rock — a stone
  9. prune — to trim
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rock — music
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a skill
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. chip — for betting
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. key — in music
  22. chip — to eat
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. craft — a handicraft

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