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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. cue — a signal
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. court — for sport
  6. lean — to bend
  7. court — of a king
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cue — for pool
  10. stock — shares
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. lean — thin
  17. cue — a hint
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. chair — a leader
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. court — of law
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. stock — goods

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