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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: bowl · court · wake · squash · leaves · date · board · snap

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. court — of a king
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. snap — to click
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wake — a trail
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. board — a committee
  16. court — of law
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. squash — to crush
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. board — to get on
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. court — for sport

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