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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. can — a tin
  3. chest — a box
  4. bear — the animal
  5. kick — in football
  6. court — of law
  7. court — of a king
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mark — a trace
  12. craft — a skill
  13. can — a tin
  14. mark — a grade
  15. prune — to trim
  16. craft — boats
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bear — the animal
  22. can — to be able to
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. court — for sport

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