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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. chair — a leader
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bass — low music
  5. court — of law
  6. key — in music
  7. press — newspapers
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. press — to push
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lean — thin
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. court — for sport
  24. lean — to rest against

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