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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 120 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bore — to drill
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. court — of a king
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bore — to tire
  16. pop — music
  17. court — for sport
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pop — soda
  20. prune — to trim
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. leaves — of a tree

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