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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rock — a stone
  5. lean — thin
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. court — of a king
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. capital — money
  13. mark — a trace
  14. court — for sport
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rock — music
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. court — of law
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mark — a grade
  24. lean — to rest against

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