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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: press · file · racket · leaves · craft · fall · court · prune

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. craft — boats
  3. press — to push
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. prune — to trim
  8. file — a line of people
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. press — newspapers
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. press — a publisher
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. prune — to trim
  15. court — of law
  16. fall — to drop
  17. file — a tool
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. fall — the season
  20. craft — a skill
  21. court — for sport
  22. file — a document
  23. fall — to drop
  24. craft — a handicraft

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