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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: net · rush · prune · deal · court · bore · spring · nail

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. net — for catching
  3. court — of a king
  4. bore — to drill
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. spring — a coil
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. net — in sport
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rush — hurry
  15. spring — of water
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. court — for sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. spring — the season
  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