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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rock — a stone
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. court — for sport
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. present — the time now
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. file — a line of people
  12. date — the fruit
  13. roll — a cake
  14. court — of law
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. file — a document
  17. present — a gift
  18. rock — music
  19. file — a tool
  20. present — there
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. date — on the calendar

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