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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. court — of law
  3. cap — a hat
  4. stock — goods
  5. prune — to trim
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cap — a lid
  8. court — of a king
  9. cap — of ice
  10. suit — clothes
  11. rest — what's left
  12. court — for sport
  13. stock — shares
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rest — what's left
  16. spell — magic
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. prune — to trim
  19. spell — letters
  20. rest — a break
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. suit — to fit
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. prune — the fruit

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