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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bore — to tire
  6. chip — for betting
  7. court — of law
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. cap — a hat
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. key — in music
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pass — a permit
  24. leaves — of a tree

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