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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. court — of a king
  3. mug — a cup
  4. court — for sport
  5. lie — to recline
  6. net — in sport
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mug — a face
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — the tool
  14. club — for golf
  15. net — after costs
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. club — a group
  18. drill — a practice
  19. court — of law
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. net — for catching
  22. club — for dancing
  23. lean — thin
  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