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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: land · prune · kick · can · temple · court · saw · chip

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. prune — to trim
  5. saw — the tool
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. court — of law
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. land — ground
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. can — to be able to
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. prune — to trim
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. chip — to eat
  21. court — for sport
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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