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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: prune · mate · court · ball · fork · pass · pitcher · straw

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mate — to breed
  8. court — for sport
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. court — of a king
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mate — a friend
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. court — of law
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. ball — a dance

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