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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. spell — a short time
  5. current — electric
  6. prune — to trim
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. stock — shares
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. spell — magic
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. court — of law
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bass — the fish
  18. stock — goods
  19. court — for sport
  20. current — of water
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. current — happening now
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. court — of a king

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