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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. present — a gift
  3. court — for sport
  4. firm — decided
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. court — of a king
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. firm — steady
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. court — of law
  19. present — the time now
  20. pass — a permit
  21. firm — a company
  22. present — there
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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