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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 116 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. staff — employees
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rest — what's left
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. clip — for paper
  12. court — for sport
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lean — thin
  16. clip — a video
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rest — a break
  21. court — of law
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. clip — to cut
  24. racket — a loud noise

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