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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bound — certain
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bound — obliged
  6. capital — money
  7. object — a thing
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. lean — thin
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mark — a trace
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. court — of a king
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. capital — a city
  22. game — a match
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of law

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