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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. court — for sport
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rule — a law
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bound — certain
  8. rule — government
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. prune — to trim
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mate — a friend
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pit — a hole
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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