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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. court — of law
  3. mark — a trace
  4. present — there
  5. mark — a grade
  6. present — a gift
  7. chip — to eat
  8. lie — to recline
  9. spring — of water
  10. prune — to trim
  11. present — the time now
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. court — for sport
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. pound — a weight
  16. chip — for betting
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. court — of a king
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. spring — the season
  24. prune — to trim

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