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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bulb — for light
  3. court — of law
  4. clip — to cut
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. mug — a cup
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. fine — high quality
  9. prune — to trim
  10. suit — in cards
  11. clip — a video
  12. fine — all right
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. court — for sport
  16. mug — to rob
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bulb — for light
  20. suit — to fit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. clip — for paper
  23. court — of a king
  24. mug — a face

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