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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
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: leaves · court · ball · stand · rest · nail · last · row

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. court — of a king
  5. stand — to bear
  6. row — to paddle
  7. court — for sport
  8. last — final
  9. row — a line
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. ball — a great time
  16. last — to go on
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rest — what's left
  19. court — of law
  20. last — finally
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rest — what's left
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rest — a break

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