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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. court — of a king
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. court — of law
  7. fine — all right
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. fall — the season
  10. object — to protest
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fall — to drop
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. object — a thing
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. object — an aim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. court — for sport
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fall — to drop

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