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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 116 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bank — for money
  6. rash — a series
  7. content — happy
  8. rash — hasty
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pitch — completely
  12. court — of law
  13. content — the amount
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bank — of a river
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. court — for sport
  24. content — videos and posts

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