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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ground — a position
  5. lean — thin
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. court — of a king
  8. lean — to bend
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chip — for betting
  11. perch — the fish
  12. chip — to eat
  13. prune — to trim
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. court — for sport
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ground — the earth
  19. court — of law
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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