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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. season — in sport
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. prune — to trim
  8. firm — a company
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. court — for sport
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pop — soda
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pop — music
  17. wake — a trail
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. firm — decided
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — of law
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mouse — for a computer

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