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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. present — a gift
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. content — happy
  11. present — the time now
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rest — what's left
  18. content — the amount
  19. mate — a partner
  20. prune — to trim
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. present — there
  24. mouse — the animal

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