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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. saw — the tool
  3. game — wild animals
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pop — soda
  6. saw — the tool
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mug — to rob
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pop — music
  11. court — for sport
  12. mug — a cup
  13. court — of a king
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pass — a permit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mug — a face
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. game — a match
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. prune — to trim
  22. court — of law
  23. pop — to visit
  24. hide — to keep secret

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