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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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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: bank · bat · firm · bay · court · mate · kick · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. firm — decided
  3. court — of law
  4. firm — a company
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. firm — steady
  7. bat — the animal
  8. mate — a partner
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. court — for sport
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bank — for money
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. kick — in football
  18. bank — for money
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. court — of a king
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bank — of a river
  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