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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chair — a leader
  4. deal — to handle
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. court — of law
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lean — thin
  12. present — the time now
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — for sport
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. lean — to bend
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. present — a gift
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. present — there

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