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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: track · wind · bowl · lie · prune · craft · court · swing

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. swing — to play on
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. court — of law
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. swing — in golf
  9. track — a song
  10. wind — moving air
  11. craft — a skill
  12. track — to keep track
  13. court — for sport
  14. track — a path
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. swing — music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. court — of a king
  22. prune — to trim
  23. craft — boats
  24. lie — an untruth

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