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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.

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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bear — the animal
  5. court — of law
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — a gift
  9. content — happy
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. court — for sport
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. content — the amount
  16. court — of a king
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bear — the animal
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rock — music
  24. 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