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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: ground · chip · jam · ball · mate · prune · lean · court

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. jam — a tight spot
  2. court — of a king
  3. chip — for betting
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mate — to breed
  6. court — of law
  7. ball — a great time
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. ground — the earth
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mate — a friend
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. mate — a partner
  14. ground — a position
  15. court — for sport
  16. chip — to eat
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. ground — crushed
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. ball — a dance
  23. chip — in a computer
  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