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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: rock · bay · mark · bowl · prune · court · fine · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rock — a stone
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fine — all right
  9. mark — a grade
  10. rock — music
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. court — for sport
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mark — a trace

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