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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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 — thin
  2. court — of a king
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. court — for sport
  6. root — the cause
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. root — of a plant
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. court — of law
  12. chair — a leader
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mine — for digging
  15. stock — shares
  16. root — of a word
  17. current — happening now
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. current — of water
  21. stock — goods
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. current — electric
  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