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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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. prune — to trim
  3. craft — boats
  4. court — of a king
  5. last — to go on
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. last — final
  9. prune — to trim
  10. last — finally
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pitch — completely
  13. court — for sport
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. court — of law
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bear — the animal

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