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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: racket · spring · court · wake · bass · press · suit · prune

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. prune — to trim
  4. suit — in cards
  5. prune — to trim
  6. spring — of water
  7. court — for sport
  8. suit — to fit
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. suit — clothes
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. press — a publisher
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. court — of law
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wake — a trail
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. spring — the season
  23. press — to push
  24. press — newspapers

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