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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: last · ball · bowl · court · track · safe · prune · stand

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. track — a song
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. court — of law
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. stand — to bear
  9. court — for sport
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. last — to go on
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. last — final
  18. ball — a great time
  19. court — of a king
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. last — finally
  23. stand — on your feet
  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