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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. object — a thing
  3. court — of a king
  4. file — a document
  5. ball — a great time
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. object — to protest
  8. court — for sport
  9. branch — a division
  10. object — an aim
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. file — a tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mark — a grade
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. prune — to trim
  20. court — of law
  21. mark — a trace
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. file — a line of people
  24. prune — the fruit

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