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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. court — of law
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. prune — to trim
  5. court — for sport
  6. mark — a trace
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. land — a country
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. vault — a safe
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. kick — in football
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. mark — a grade
  22. court — of a king
  23. chip — to eat
  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