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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: face · court · bark · safe · prune · content · stick · charge

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. court — of a king
  3. charge — in control
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. charge — a price
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. court — of law
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. court — for sport
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. content — videos and posts

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