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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 120 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cue — for pool
  3. prune — to trim
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cue — a hint
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. cue — a signal
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. court — of law
  17. chair — a leader
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. foot — a measure
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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