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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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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 · present · can · ground · nail · court · saw · prune

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. present — there
  3. cue — a hint
  4. prune — to trim
  5. saw — the tool
  6. court — of law
  7. can — a tin
  8. ground — the earth
  9. present — the time now
  10. saw — the tool
  11. court — of a king
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cue — for pool
  14. can — to be able to
  15. ground — crushed
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ground — a position
  18. present — a gift
  19. court — for sport
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. can — a tin
  24. cue — a signal

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