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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 120 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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. prune — to trim
  3. court — for sport
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. season — in sport
  6. court — of law
  7. chip — for betting
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chip — to eat
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bark — to shout
  19. season — of the year
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. court — of a king
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. prune — to trim

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