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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 120 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. court — of a king
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rash — a series
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. court — of law
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rash — hasty
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. court — for sport
  18. swing — to play on
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. swing — music
  21. stand — to bear
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bound — tied together
  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