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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. chip — for betting
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. court — of a king
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. band — a music group
  14. prune — to trim
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. court — of law
  18. chip — to eat
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. band — a ring
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. court — for sport

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