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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: swing · deal · ball · drill · hide · last · prune · court

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. swing — to play on
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. swing — music
  9. last — finally
  10. drill — the tool
  11. court — of a king
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. swing — in golf
  14. ball — a dance
  15. drill — a practice
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of law
  19. drill — army training
  20. prune — to trim
  21. last — to go on
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. last — final
  24. hide — to keep secret

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