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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. court — of a king
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. court — for sport
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. object — a thing
  13. fine — high quality
  14. prune — to trim
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fine — all right
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. court — of law
  19. object — an aim
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. object — to protest
  23. toast — bread
  24. mark — a trace

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