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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. track — a path
  4. suit — to fit
  5. track — to keep track
  6. prune — to trim
  7. court — for sport
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. court — of a king
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. track — a song
  14. bark — to shout
  15. firm — steady
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. suit — in cards
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. lean — to bend
  24. court — of law

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