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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · suit · rush · ball · date · straw · capital · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. suit — to fit
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. suit — in cards
  6. capital — money
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cell — in biology
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. date — the fruit
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. suit — clothes
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. capital — a city
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rush — hurry
  21. prune — to trim
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. ball — a great time
  24. straw — a straw man

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