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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
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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: spring · degree · toast · calf · rule · prune · court · board

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. court — of law
  5. degree — temperature
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spring — a coil
  8. court — of a king
  9. rule — a law
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. court — for sport
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. board — to get on
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rule — government
  19. toast — bread
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — an amount
  23. board — a committee
  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