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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. present — the time now
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — clever
  8. present — there
  9. present — a gift
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. court — of a king
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. ball — a great time
  15. court — for sport
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ball — a dance
  21. prune — to trim
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. court — of law
  24. jam — in traffic

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