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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. row — a line
  3. present — there
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. court — for sport
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bound — certain
  8. court — of a king
  9. bound — obliged
  10. prune — to trim
  11. foot — a measure
  12. present — a gift
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. court — of law
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bound — tied together
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. present — the time now
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. foot — part of the body

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