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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pit — a hole
  5. key — in music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. game — a match
  9. bass — low music
  10. spring — of water
  11. game — wild animals
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pit — in a race
  14. charge — in control
  15. spring — a coil
  16. charge — a price
  17. bass — the fish
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. key — the most important part
  20. charge — electricity
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. spring — the season
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. lean — thin

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