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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. court — for sport
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. last — finally
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. drill — army training
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. court — of law
  13. bear — the animal
  14. last — final
  15. bear — the animal
  16. drill — the tool
  17. prune — to trim
  18. object — to protest
  19. chip — for betting
  20. drill — a practice
  21. court — of a king
  22. last — to go on
  23. chip — to eat
  24. deal — a big deal

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