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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. court — of law
  4. current — happening now
  5. court — of a king
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. mark — a trace
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. club — a group
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. club — for dancing
  15. lean — thin
  16. pit — in a race
  17. court — for sport
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. current — electric
  20. club — for golf
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. current — of water

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