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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of law
  6. mark — a grade
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ball — a great time
  9. board — to get on
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. date — the fruit
  14. foot — a measure
  15. prune — to trim
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. court — of a king
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. foot — the bottom

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