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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. lean — thin
  5. court — of a king
  6. lean — to bend
  7. tube — a container
  8. key — the most important part
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. file — a line of people
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. file — a document
  20. tube — the underground
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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