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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. ball — a great time
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ball — a dance
  5. key — in music
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stock — goods
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. key — the most important part
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. court — of a king
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pound — a weight

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