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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: bowl · suit · court · root · sharp · mark · mate · prune

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mark — a grade
  3. court — for sport
  4. prune — to trim
  5. court — of a king
  6. mate — to breed
  7. root — of a word
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. suit — to fit
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. root — the cause
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — clothes
  20. mark — a trace
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. court — of law
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mate — a friend

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