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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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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: prune · game · mate · rash · can · suit · court · leaves

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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. can — a tin
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rash — a series
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. court — of a king
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — a friend
  10. court — for sport
  11. mate — to breed
  12. can — to be able to
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. suit — in cards
  15. can — a tin
  16. game — a match
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. court — of law
  19. game — wild animals
  20. suit — clothes
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rash — hasty
  23. suit — to fit
  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