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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rush — hurry
  3. court — of law
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. prune — to trim
  7. land — to come down
  8. saw — the tool
  9. land — a country
  10. court — for sport
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. charge — a price
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. land — ground
  18. charge — in control
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. charge — electricity
  21. saw — the tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. court — of a king
  24. rush — to hurry

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