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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. court — of a king
  7. bore — to drill
  8. court — of law
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. swing — to play on
  13. march — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bore — to tire
  17. deal — to handle
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. key — in music
  20. swing — music
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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