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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. field — for sport
  4. cue — a signal
  5. land — ground
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bore — to tire
  8. court — of a king
  9. key — in music
  10. field — a subject
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. land — to come down
  14. key — the most important part
  15. field — farmland
  16. bank — for money
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. court — for sport
  19. bank — of a river
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. land — a country
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bank — for money

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