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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: mark · court · ground · board · dip · ball · swing · prune

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mark — a grade
  3. board — a committee
  4. ball — a dance
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. swing — music
  9. court — for sport
  10. mark — a trace
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. court — of law
  13. board — to get on
  14. ground — the earth
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. prune — to trim
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. swing — to play on
  21. ground — a position
  22. prune — to trim
  23. ground — crushed
  24. court — of a king

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