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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pit — in a race
  4. board — to get on
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mate — a partner
  7. board — a committee
  8. pit — a hole
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mate — to breed
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. mate — a friend
  16. prune — to trim
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. cue — a hint
  22. court — of a king
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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