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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. prune — to trim
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. court — of a king
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. court — for sport
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pop — soda
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pop — music
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. root — the cause
  21. court — of law
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — in golf

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