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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
468
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: court · wake · bulb · prune · lean · arm · jam · deal

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. court — of law
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. court — for sport
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. court — of a king
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bulb — for light
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bulb — for light
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wake — a trail
  24. deal — an agreement

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