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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. court — of a king
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. game — wild animals
  5. court — for sport
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. foot — a measure
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. rash — a series
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. court — of law
  16. game — a match
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bound — certain
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bound — obliged
  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