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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · rest · current · lean · trunk · object · court · pound

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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 law
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lean — to bend
  5. object — an aim
  6. rest — a break
  7. lean — thin
  8. game — a match
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. court — of a king
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. pound — a weight
  19. game — wild animals
  20. court — for sport
  21. current — electric
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rest — what's left
  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