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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 124 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. court — of a king
  3. bank — of a river
  4. court — for sport
  5. lean — to bend
  6. current — happening now
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — a leader
  9. lean — thin
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bank — for money
  17. court — of law
  18. current — of water
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. current — electric
  22. bank — for money
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bound — tied together

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