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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — the season
  5. court — of law
  6. key — the most important part
  7. land — a country
  8. land — to come down
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. chip — to eat
  14. key — in music
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. court — for sport
  18. land — ground
  19. key — for a lock
  20. prune — to trim
  21. spring — of water
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. court — of a king
  24. kick — with a leg

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