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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: track · rash · court · prune · foot · snap · bowl · firm

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. foot — a measure
  3. court — of law
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. rash — hasty
  8. firm — steady
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. prune — to trim
  15. track — a song
  16. court — of a king
  17. snap — to click
  18. court — for sport
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. firm — decided
  21. prune — to trim
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. firm — a company
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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