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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. court — for sport
  3. deal — to handle
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. lean — thin
  6. ball — a great time
  7. march — the month
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. march — music
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. lean — to bend
  15. march — the month
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bat — the animal
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — of law
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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