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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. track — to keep track
  3. present — the time now
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of a king
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. present — a gift
  11. deal — to handle
  12. track — a song
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. firm — steady
  15. bear — the animal
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. present — there
  18. firm — decided
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. hand — in cards
  21. court — of law
  22. track — a path
  23. bear — the animal
  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