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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: mug · pitcher · suit · present · prune · leaves · sharp · court

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. present — the time now
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. court — for sport
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. prune — to trim
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. court — of law
  12. present — there
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. present — a gift
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. sharp — clever
  23. prune — to trim
  24. court — of a king

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