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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: prune · cabinet · court · squash · fall · stand · tube · pass

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fall — the season
  7. court — for sport
  8. tube — a container
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. court — of a king
  12. fall — to drop
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. prune — to trim
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. court — of law
  23. squash — the sport
  24. stand — to bear

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