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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. prune — to trim
  3. charge — in control
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. net — in sport
  6. prune — to trim
  7. court — of a king
  8. fork — in a road
  9. firm — decided
  10. court — for sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. court — of law
  14. charge — a price
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. net — after costs
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. firm — a company
  23. charge — electricity
  24. fork — to eat with

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