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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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Word bank
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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: band · nail · spring · sharp · suit · prune · mouse · court

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. suit — to fit
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spring — the season
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. band — a music group
  11. prune — to trim
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. court — of a king
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. suit — clothes
  16. court — for sport
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. spring — of water
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spring — a coil
  21. band — a ring
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. suit — in cards
  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