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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 116 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: row · prune · track · court · safe · hand · bound · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. track — to keep track
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. track — a path
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. court — for sport
  7. row — to paddle
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bound — obliged
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bound — certain
  12. court — of a king
  13. stand — to bear
  14. track — a song
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. court — of law
  19. hand — help
  20. prune — to trim
  21. row — a line
  22. bound — tied together
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. row — a quarrel

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