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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. court — of a king
  4. pass — a permit
  5. season — of the year
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rock — music
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. court — for sport
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bark — to shout
  16. rock — a stone
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. court — of law
  22. season — in sport
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. season — to add flavour

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