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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · court · pit · track · hand · chip · key · perch

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. hand — in cards
  3. chip — to eat
  4. track — a song
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. key — in music
  8. track — a path
  9. hand — help
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pit — a hole
  15. court — of a king
  16. key — the most important part
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pit — in a race
  21. key — for a lock
  22. court — for sport
  23. perch — the fish
  24. court — of law

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