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

Word bank: pitcher · cue · ball · trunk · mug · court

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. ball — a great time
  3. court — of a king
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. court — of law
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mug — a face
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cue — for pool
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cue — a signal
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. cue — a hint
  16. court — for sport
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mug — a cup

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