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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. lean — thin
  3. cue — a signal
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. court — of law
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. drill — a practice
  10. capital — a city
  11. drill — army training
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. capital — money
  14. drill — the tool
  15. dip — to sink
  16. cue — for pool
  17. court — of a king
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. cue — a hint
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. court — for sport
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. racket — for tennis

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