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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. file — a document
  3. pit — in a race
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. prune — to trim
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. can — a tin
  14. foot — a measure
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pit — a hole
  18. can — a tin
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. file — a tool
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. file — a line of people

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