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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 just a dried plum.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. march — the month
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. sharp — clever
  7. chip — for betting
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. prune — to trim
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. swing — music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. swing — in golf
  15. march — the month
  16. chip — to eat
  17. march — music
  18. court — of law
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. swing — to play on
  22. track — to keep track
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. sharp — with an edge

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