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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 116 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fall — the season
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fall — to drop
  11. court — for sport
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mark — a trace
  14. prune — to trim
  15. court — of law
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a music group
  18. court — of a king
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fall — to drop
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mark — a grade

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