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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. swing — to play on
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. row — a line
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rash — hasty
  7. court — of law
  8. row — to paddle
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. swing — music
  15. bank — for money
  16. prune — to trim
  17. swing — in golf
  18. court — for sport
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bank — for money
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. prune — to trim

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