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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. court — of law
  3. content — happy
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. squash — to crush
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. court — of a king
  9. prune — to trim
  10. firm — a company
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. object — a thing
  15. firm — steady
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. court — for sport
  18. object — an aim
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. prune — to trim
  21. object — to protest
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. firm — decided
  24. content — the amount

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