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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. cell — in biology
  3. present — the time now
  4. ball — a great time
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. firm — steady
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. firm — decided
  10. prune — to trim
  11. present — a gift
  12. firm — a company
  13. court — of a king
  14. present — there
  15. prune — to trim
  16. perch — the fish
  17. court — of law
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cell — a phone
  20. court — for sport
  21. ball — a dance
  22. toast — bread
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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