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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fall — to drop
  3. court — of a king
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. court — for sport
  6. chair — a leader
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. fall — the season
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. court — of law
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. ball — a dance
  15. fall — to drop
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim

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