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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: prune · net · leaves · mark · shower · march · object · court

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. court — of law
  3. march — the month
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. court — of a king
  6. march — the month
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — to protest
  9. net — in sport
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mark — a grade
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. net — after costs
  15. court — for sport
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mark — a trace
  20. march — music
  21. object — an aim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. shower — rain
  24. net — for catching

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