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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: chair · prune · pound · mate · arm · object · fine · court

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. object — to protest
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fine — high quality
  6. court — for sport
  7. object — an aim
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. prune — to trim
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mate — a partner
  13. object — a thing
  14. chair — a leader
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. fine — all right
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. chair — a professorship

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