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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: rest · season · mark · prune · ball · coach · last · can

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. season — of the year
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. season — in sport
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — a tin
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. prune — to trim
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rest — a break
  14. last — final
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. last — to go on
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. can — a tin
  22. last — finally
  23. ball — a dance
  24. can — to be able to

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