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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mate — a partner
  4. prune — to trim
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mark — a grade
  7. firm — decided
  8. court — of law
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. march — the month
  11. mark — a trace
  12. firm — a company
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. prune — to trim
  16. firm — steady
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. march — the month
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mate — to breed
  21. court — for sport
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. march — music
  24. mate — a friend

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