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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. court — of a king
  3. hand — help
  4. lean — thin
  5. court — of law
  6. sharp — clever
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. spell — letters
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. hand — in cards
  15. lean — to bend
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. court — for sport
  18. spell — magic
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pitch — completely
  21. firm — steady
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. firm — decided
  24. lie — to recline

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