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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: court · wave · prune · board · game · bank · toast · kick

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. prune — to trim
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. game — a match
  5. bank — for money
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. court — of a king
  8. bank — of a river
  9. board — a committee
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. court — of law
  15. board — to get on
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bank — for money
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. court — for sport
  24. prune — to trim

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