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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · can · court · prune · chip · land · safe · present

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. court — of a king
  3. chip — for betting
  4. can — a tin
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — ground
  7. present — the time now
  8. land — a country
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. court — for sport
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. can — a tin
  15. present — there
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. present — a gift
  19. can — to be able to
  20. rule — a law
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rule — government
  23. court — of law
  24. chip — in a computer

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