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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.

Make a worksheet

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: trunk · capital · prune · net · arm · date · stand · leaves

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. prune — to trim
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. capital — a city
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. date — the fruit
  11. net — for catching
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. net — in sport
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. prune — to trim
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stand — to bear
  20. capital — money
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. net — after costs

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