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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · wake · court · racket · prune · temple · fork · chest

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. chest — of your body
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. fork — in a road
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chest — a box
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. chest — of your body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. prune — to trim
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. court — of law

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