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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. cap — a lid
  4. content — the amount
  5. cap — a hat
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. content — happy
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. court — of law
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. court — for sport
  14. prune — to trim
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. court — of a king
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cap — of ice
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. content — videos and posts

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