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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. prune — to trim
  3. can — a tin
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rest — a break
  7. pass — a permit
  8. can — a tin
  9. court — of a king
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. court — for sport
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. rest — what's left
  15. court — of law
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. craft — boats
  19. can — to be able to
  20. staff — employees
  21. rest — what's left
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. staff — employees

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