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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 116 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: staff · prune · row · deal · ball · calf · perch · court

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. court — of law
  3. prune — to trim
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. perch — the fish
  6. staff — employees
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. row — to paddle
  9. deal — to handle
  10. ball — a great time
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. court — for sport
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. prune — to trim
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. court — of a king
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. ball — a dance

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