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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ball — a great time
  4. deal — to handle
  5. firm — decided
  6. season — of the year
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. court — of law
  9. firm — steady
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. court — for sport
  13. firm — a company
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. court — of a king
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. stock — goods
  24. ball — a dance

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