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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. key — the most important part
  3. court — of law
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. court — of a king
  7. lean — thin
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. key — in music
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lean — to bend
  22. court — for sport
  23. fork — in a road
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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