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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fine — high quality
  4. court — of law
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pop — to visit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. court — for sport
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. fine — all right
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — happy
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — music
  16. court — of a king
  17. object — an aim
  18. rest — a break
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. object — a thing
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. object — to protest

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