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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. prune — to trim
  3. court — of a king
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. staff — employees
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. press — newspapers
  11. root — of a word
  12. court — for sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. root — the cause
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. press — to push
  19. ball — a dance
  20. court — of law
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rest — a break

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