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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: court · toast · net · key · bore · branch · pass · prune

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. net — for catching
  4. key — in music
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. prune — to trim
  7. court — of law
  8. bore — to tire
  9. net — in sport
  10. key — the most important part
  11. court — for sport
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bore — to drill
  14. toast — bread
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. key — for a lock
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. court — of a king
  21. branch — a division
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. prune — the fruit

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