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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.

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: prune · net · bowl · foot · squash · trunk · cue · spell

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cue — a hint
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. prune — to trim
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. foot — a measure
  13. net — in sport
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. cue — for pool
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. net — for catching
  22. squash — to crush
  23. prune — to trim
  24. net — after costs

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