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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: present · pop · pass · bore · chair · prune · court · ground

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. court — for sport
  4. pop — music
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. present — a gift
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pass — a permit
  12. ground — a position
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ground — the earth
  16. court — of law
  17. court — of a king
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pop — to visit
  20. present — there
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pop — soda
  23. present — the time now
  24. prune — to trim

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