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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. court — of law
  7. net — for catching
  8. prune — to trim
  9. object — to protest
  10. bank — for money
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bank — of a river
  14. prune — to trim
  15. can — a tin
  16. object — an aim
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. object — a thing
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bank — for money
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. court — for sport
  24. can — a tin

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