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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ruler · court · ball · prune · bat · stick · net · suit

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. court — of a king
  3. suit — to fit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bat — the animal
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of law
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. suit — in cards

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