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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: bulb · lie · court · prune · stand · track · pitcher · march

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. court — for sport
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. prune — to trim
  5. march — music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bulb — for light
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. march — the month
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. march — the month
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bulb — of a plant

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