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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 116 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. firm — a company
  3. net — after costs
  4. court — of a king
  5. lean — to bend
  6. cue — for pool
  7. lean — thin
  8. cue — a signal
  9. net — in sport
  10. firm — decided
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. court — for sport
  14. cue — a hint
  15. key — in music
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bear — the animal
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. firm — steady
  21. bear — the animal
  22. net — for catching
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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