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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: coach · pit · stand · bore · object · court · prune · net

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. net — after costs
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bore — to drill
  5. court — of a king
  6. pit — a hole
  7. court — of law
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. object — a thing
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bore — to tire
  14. object — to protest
  15. court — for sport
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stand — to bear
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pit — in a race
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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