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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ground — the earth
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. suit — to fit
  6. hand — help
  7. chest — of your body
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. charge — electricity
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. prune — to trim
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. court — for sport
  21. ground — a position
  22. charge — in control
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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