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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. court — for sport
  6. key — the most important part
  7. suit — in cards
  8. key — for a lock
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. court — of law
  11. suit — to fit
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. lean — thin
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wake — a trail
  17. deal — to handle
  18. key — in music
  19. hand — help
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. suit — clothes
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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