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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ground — crushed
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cold — not warm
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. ground — a position
  10. plane — a tool
  11. court — of a king
  12. prune — to trim
  13. court — of law
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. ground — the earth
  16. court — for sport
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. charge — in control
  21. cold — an illness
  22. craft — boats
  23. charge — electricity
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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