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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 116 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. board — to get on
  4. prune — to trim
  5. swing — in golf
  6. chip — to eat
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. court — for sport
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spell — magic
  16. court — of law
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. prune — to trim
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. court — of a king
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. chip — for betting

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