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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. prune — to trim
  4. court — of a king
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. march — the month
  8. court — of law
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — a law
  12. march — music
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fine — all right
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. craft — a skill
  19. court — for sport
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. rule — government
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. march — the month
  24. fine — high quality

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