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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. court — of a king
  3. race — humankind
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. suit — clothes
  11. rush — hurry
  12. season — of the year
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. race — the arms race
  15. court — for sport
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. prune — to trim
  19. roll — a cake
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. race — a contest
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. court — of law
  24. prune — to trim

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