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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.

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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. court — of a king
  3. fork — in a road
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. court — of law
  8. bat — the animal
  9. lean — thin
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. charge — electricity
  12. prune — to trim
  13. court — for sport
  14. rule — a law
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — child
  22. lean — to bend
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rule — government

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