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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. court — for sport
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. track — a song
  7. last — finally
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. last — to go on
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. prune — to trim
  16. track — a path
  17. mark — a grade
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. prune — to trim
  22. object — a thing
  23. last — final
  24. cabinet — ministers

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