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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chair — a leader
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. stand — to bear
  13. prune — to trim
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of law
  17. ball — a great time
  18. court — of a king
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rush — hurry
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. stand — for spectators

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