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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. court — of law
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. court — for sport
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rest — what's left
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mine — for digging
  12. tube — the underground
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. tube — a container
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. court — of a king
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. rest — a break
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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