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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. court — of a king
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lean — to bend
  5. chair — a leader
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. track — a song
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a skill
  13. mate — to breed
  14. court — for sport
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mate — a friend
  17. court — of law
  18. lean — thin
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. track — to keep track
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. mate — a partner

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