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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. court — for sport
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. prune — to trim
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. track — a path
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. track — a song
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mark — a grade
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mark — a trace
  19. track — to keep track
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bore — to tire
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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