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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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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: pit · capital · court · saw · bay · jam · prune · trunk

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. prune — to trim
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of a king
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. court — of law
  8. prune — to trim
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. capital — money
  12. saw — the tool
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pit — in a race
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. capital — a city
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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