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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. prune — to trim
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. club — for golf
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bore — to drill
  7. court — of law
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. scale — in music
  10. dip — to sink
  11. court — of a king
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. club — for dancing
  14. court — for sport
  15. club — a group
  16. can — a tin
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. can — a tin
  22. bore — to tire
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bore — gave birth

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