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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cue — a signal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mate — to breed
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. hand — in cards
  11. mate — a friend
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. court — of a king
  16. prune — to trim
  17. court — for sport
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hand — help
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mate — a partner
  24. court — of law

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