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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. court — of a king
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. court — of law
  6. bore — to drill
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mate — a partner
  9. field — a subject
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. court — for sport
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. club — a group
  14. wake — a trail
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — for dancing
  17. field — farmland
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. field — for sport
  21. bore — to tire
  22. prune — to trim
  23. toast — bread
  24. mate — a friend

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