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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. court — of law
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. capital — money
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. prune — to trim
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. court — for sport
  13. chip — to eat
  14. prune — to trim
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. can — a tin
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bass — low music
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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