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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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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: prune · foot · ball · suit · club · lie · hand · court

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. prune — to trim
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. hand — help
  6. club — a group
  7. hand — in cards
  8. lie — to recline
  9. ball — a great time
  10. court — of law
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. court — of a king
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. club — for dancing
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. suit — to fit
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. court — for sport
  24. foot — the bottom

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