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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.

Make a worksheet

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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. object — to protest
  4. prune — to trim
  5. court — of law
  6. pass — a permit
  7. object — a thing
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. court — for sport
  14. rest — a break
  15. court — of a king
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. object — an aim

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