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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: cue · bound · prune · bay · club · date · suit · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. bound — obliged
  4. cue — a hint
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. date — the fruit
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bound — certain
  11. club — a group
  12. cue — for pool
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — to fit
  15. court — for sport
  16. club — for dancing
  17. prune — to trim
  18. club — for golf
  19. prune — to trim
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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