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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: craft · staff · suit · foot · prune · wound · court · bass

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. craft — boats
  3. suit — to fit
  4. staff — employees
  5. wound — an injury
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bass — the fish
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. foot — a measure
  10. court — of a king
  11. wound — an injury
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. prune — to trim
  14. staff — employees
  15. court — of law
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. staff — a stick
  20. suit — clothes
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bass — low music
  23. court — for sport
  24. suit — in cards

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