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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.

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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: trunk · rock · pop · court · suit · season · cue · lie

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. court — of law
  3. court — for sport
  4. pop — soda
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rock — music
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pop — to visit
  10. cue — for pool
  11. suit — in cards
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rock — a stone
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. cue — a hint
  18. season — of the year
  19. pop — music
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cue — a signal
  22. court — of a king
  23. suit — clothes
  24. lie — an untruth

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