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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. prune — the fruit
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. land — a country
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. court — of law
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. chip — to eat
  9. land — ground
  10. club — for dancing
  11. land — to come down
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. club — a group
  15. bear — the animal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. prune — to trim
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bear — the animal
  21. club — for golf
  22. court — of a king
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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