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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. prune — to trim
  3. deal — to handle
  4. court — of a king
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bank — of a river
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. firm — decided
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. firm — a company
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pound — a weight
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. prune — to trim
  24. firm — steady

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