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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.

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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. firm — decided
  3. prune — to trim
  4. capital — money
  5. court — of a king
  6. cue — for pool
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. court — of law
  10. firm — steady
  11. cue — a hint
  12. drill — the tool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. drill — army training
  15. capital — a city
  16. firm — a company
  17. ground — a position
  18. court — for sport
  19. ground — crushed
  20. cue — a signal
  21. ground — the earth
  22. drill — a practice
  23. prune — to trim
  24. capital — a big letter

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