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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. can — a tin
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. can — to be able to
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. prune — to trim
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fine — all right
  16. can — a tin
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. court — for sport
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. prune — to trim
  22. court — of a king
  23. mate — a partner
  24. fine — high quality

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