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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. bound — obliged
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. court — for sport
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bound — tied together
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. suit — clothes
  19. prune — to trim
  20. suit — to fit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bound — certain
  24. cabinet — ministers

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