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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: file · prune · court · coach · rest · safe · pitch · mark

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. prune — to trim
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. file — a tool
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mark — a grade
  10. rest — a break
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. prune — to trim
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rest — what's left
  18. file — a line of people
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. file — a document
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pitch — completely
  24. coach — a trainer

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