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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: rash · row · prune · last · court · suit · rest · date

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. row — to paddle
  3. court — of a king
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rash — a series
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. suit — clothes
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rash — hasty
  10. row — a line
  11. last — final
  12. rest — what's left
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. court — for sport
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. court — of law
  17. rest — what's left
  18. prune — to trim
  19. suit — to fit
  20. last — finally
  21. last — to go on
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. date — the fruit
  24. suit — in cards

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