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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. court — of a king
  3. key — in music
  4. current — electric
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. court — for sport
  9. spring — the season
  10. key — for a lock
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ground — crushed
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — a coil
  19. ground — a position
  20. key — the most important part
  21. lean — to bend
  22. court — of law
  23. lean — thin
  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