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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: land · club · prune · foot · court · cabinet · cue · racket

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. court — for sport
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. club — for dancing
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. land — a country
  13. prune — to trim
  14. club — a group
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. land — to come down
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. court — of law
  20. foot — a measure
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. club — for golf
  23. court — of a king
  24. land — ground

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