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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. last — finally
  6. chip — to eat
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. court — of law
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. court — for sport
  19. last — to go on
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mine — for digging
  22. last — final
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. chip — for betting

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