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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: coach · perch · sharp · cabinet · court · mouse · prune · foot

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. court — for sport
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. perch — the fish
  7. court — of a king
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. foot — a measure
  16. court — of law
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. sharp — clever
  24. prune — to trim

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